Small aircraft pilot has complete electrical failure on IFR flight plan. Diverts to nearby airport.

Attributes
ACN	335306
Time
Date	199605
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : een
State Reference	NH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw tower : pne
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 346 flight time type : 225
ASRS Report	335306
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I departed een, IFR to btv. Upon climb out I was in clear WX. Assigned altitude on the IFR flight plan was 6000 ft. Once at 6000 ft I activated the autoplt's altitude hold (indicated locked in). Moments later I noticed the plane had entered a climb and the autoplt had disengaged. I immediately returned to 6000 ft and tried to re-engage the altitude hold. It would not engage. I noticed by the dimming led's on the instrument panel, that the plane was rapidly losing all electrical power. I attempted to contact ZBW on communication #1 but repeatedly received no reply. I then tried on communication #2 and again no reply. By now fuel indications had gradually lowered to 1/10TH left tank and 1/4 right tank. I shut off all nonessential electrical devices and attempted to lower the landing gear. The gear would not come down. As I was in clear WX and an airport was 8 mi northeast of my location I chose to deviate from my filed flight plan and land at vsf. After manually lowering the landing gear I landed without incident. I then immediately notified the bangor flight service of my situation (via telephone) and asked that they notify ZBW and to have my IFR flight plan closed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON IFR FLT PLAN. DIVERTS TO NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED EEN, IFR TO BTV. UPON CLBOUT I WAS IN CLR WX. ASSIGNED ALT ON THE IFR FLT PLAN WAS 6000 FT. ONCE AT 6000 FT I ACTIVATED THE AUTOPLT'S ALT HOLD (INDICATED LOCKED IN). MOMENTS LATER I NOTICED THE PLANE HAD ENTERED A CLB AND THE AUTOPLT HAD DISENGAGED. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 6000 FT AND TRIED TO RE-ENGAGE THE ALT HOLD. IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I NOTICED BY THE DIMMING LED'S ON THE INST PANEL, THAT THE PLANE WAS RAPIDLY LOSING ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZBW ON COM #1 BUT REPEATEDLY RECEIVED NO REPLY. I THEN TRIED ON COM #2 AND AGAIN NO REPLY. BY NOW FUEL INDICATIONS HAD GRADUALLY LOWERED TO 1/10TH L TANK AND 1/4 R TANK. I SHUT OFF ALL NONESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL DEVICES AND ATTEMPTED TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR. THE GEAR WOULD NOT COME DOWN. AS I WAS IN CLR WX AND AN ARPT WAS 8 MI NE OF MY LOCATION I CHOSE TO DEVIATE FROM MY FILED FLT PLAN AND LAND AT VSF. AFTER MANUALLY LOWERING THE LNDG GEAR I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I THEN IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE BANGOR FLT SVC OF MY SIT (VIA TELEPHONE) AND ASKED THAT THEY NOTIFY ZBW AND TO HAVE MY IFR FLT PLAN CLOSED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.