Narrative:

While en route from dal to abi at XA45L at 8000 ft MSL, I was IMC and had just been handed off to ZFW. Center cleared me direct to abi. Shortly after I was on heading my instrument lights went bright white then the aircraft went black. I checked the breakers. The over voltage was popped. I pulled out the emergency checklist and went through it several times to no avail. I had lost all electrical power along with my radios and was IMC. While the regulations for this situation went through my mind I reached into my flight bag and pulled out my cell phone. I then reached out and touched a few people. I called flight service and informed them of my situation and requested the phone numbers, ZFW and abilene approach along with the current WX for dallas and abilene. Dallas was IFR, abilene was MVFR forecast to be VFR at my ETA. I called ZFW and informed them of my situation and my intentions. Then I called abilene approach and informed them of my situation and that I would be arriving soon, and I would need an ASR approach to get down through the overcast. Approach had some good news for me in that the field was 1800 ft overcast and visibility was better than 10 mi. I declared an emergency and was vectored for the approach via cell phone. Once I broke out and had the airport in sight, I told approach that I would need to make a low approach and have my gear verified that they were down. This was not a problem. Once I was informed that the gear was, I was cleared to land. Landing was made without incident. Thank god for cell phones. Later in the morning it was discovered that the battery's negative post had broken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SINGLE PLT ATX CARGO CESSNA 401 LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR DURING CRUISE IN IMC RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF ALL RADIOS AND CONSEQUENTLY, AIR-GND COMS. THE RPTR USED A HAND HELD CELLULAR PHONE TO CONTACT ATC CTR AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY, THE DEST APCH FACILITY. HE DECLARED AN EMER TO RECEIVE PRIORITY HANDLING AND LANDED SAFELY.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM DAL TO ABI AT XA45L AT 8000 FT MSL, I WAS IMC AND HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OFF TO ZFW. CTR CLRED ME DIRECT TO ABI. SHORTLY AFTER I WAS ON HEADING MY INST LIGHTS WENT BRIGHT WHITE THEN THE ACFT WENT BLACK. I CHKED THE BREAKERS. THE OVER VOLTAGE WAS POPPED. I PULLED OUT THE EMER CHKLIST AND WENT THROUGH IT SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL. I HAD LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR ALONG WITH MY RADIOS AND WAS IMC. WHILE THE REGS FOR THIS SIT WENT THROUGH MY MIND I REACHED INTO MY FLT BAG AND PULLED OUT MY CELL PHONE. I THEN REACHED OUT AND TOUCHED A FEW PEOPLE. I CALLED FLT SVC AND INFORMED THEM OF MY SIT AND REQUESTED THE PHONE NUMBERS, ZFW AND ABILENE APCH ALONG WITH THE CURRENT WX FOR DALLAS AND ABILENE. DALLAS WAS IFR, ABILENE WAS MVFR FORECAST TO BE VFR AT MY ETA. I CALLED ZFW AND INFORMED THEM OF MY SIT AND MY INTENTIONS. THEN I CALLED ABILENE APCH AND INFORMED THEM OF MY SIT AND THAT I WOULD BE ARRIVING SOON, AND I WOULD NEED AN ASR APCH TO GET DOWN THROUGH THE OVCST. APCH HAD SOME GOOD NEWS FOR ME IN THAT THE FIELD WAS 1800 FT OVCST AND VISIBILITY WAS BETTER THAN 10 MI. I DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS VECTORED FOR THE APCH VIA CELL PHONE. ONCE I BROKE OUT AND HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, I TOLD APCH THAT I WOULD NEED TO MAKE A LOW APCH AND HAVE MY GEAR VERIFIED THAT THEY WERE DOWN. THIS WAS NOT A PROB. ONCE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE GEAR WAS, I WAS CLRED TO LAND. LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THANK GOD FOR CELL PHONES. LATER IN THE MORNING IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY'S NEGATIVE POST HAD BROKEN.

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.