Narrative:

I was operating under an IFR flight plan, currently night VMC, with a high broken overcast cirrus layer above. Current clearance was from orf direct swl direct sie at 9000 ft MSL. Over swl, the panel lights started to flicker. Scan showed a discharge in the ammeter. Simultaneously noticed a slight odor (possibly electrical, possibly a belt caught). Started a turn toward sby. As soon as the ZDC frequency was open, informed the controller that I had an electrical problem and requested immediate vectors to sby. She asked whether I was declaring an emergency. I told her that I was declaring an emergency. She cleared me to 8000 ft. I checked the alternator breakers, and cycled the 'generator' switch to reset the alternator. The ammeter continued to indicate a discharge, with an occasional charge. I shut all unneeded lights, but did not shed all radios. ZDC handed me off to pxt approach. Pxt cleared me to 5000 ft and requested whether sby tower should mobilize the fire brigade. I declined this. I advised the controller that I could lose radio communication at any time. Pxt then provided current sby airport information. At 5000 ft, I lowered the gear. Gear in this aircraft is operated electrically, and I wanted to take advantage of the available battery charge to get this done (rather than the manual extension procedure). Gear was confirmed down (both electric light and the mechanical indication). Pxt approach provided vectors to the sby runway 5 final approach course, and cleared me to land. He then handed me off to sby tower. Tower again inquired whether fire services would be required. Again I declined, and informed the controller that I could lose radio communications at any time. He also cleared me to land. I landed and taxied to the FBO without further incident. Mechanics at sby examined the airplane the following morning. They found the hot lead from the alternator broke just behind the crimp-on lug. An alternator conversion (from the original generator) was done on the airplane approximately 2 yrs prior to the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VERY LOW TIME PLT IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE BE35, EXPERIENCED AN IMPENDING ELECTRICAL SYS FAILURE, REPEATEDLY DECLINED THE CFR, AND LANDED AT SBY.

Narrative: I WAS OPERATING UNDER AN IFR FLT PLAN, CURRENTLY NIGHT VMC, WITH A HIGH BROKEN OVCST CIRRUS LAYER ABOVE. CURRENT CLRNC WAS FROM ORF DIRECT SWL DIRECT SIE AT 9000 FT MSL. OVER SWL, THE PANEL LIGHTS STARTED TO FLICKER. SCAN SHOWED A DISCHARGE IN THE AMMETER. SIMULTANEOUSLY NOTICED A SLIGHT ODOR (POSSIBLY ELECTRICAL, POSSIBLY A BELT CAUGHT). STARTED A TURN TOWARD SBY. AS SOON AS THE ZDC FREQ WAS OPEN, INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROB AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE VECTORS TO SBY. SHE ASKED WHETHER I WAS DECLARING AN EMER. I TOLD HER THAT I WAS DECLARING AN EMER. SHE CLRED ME TO 8000 FT. I CHKED THE ALTERNATOR BREAKERS, AND CYCLED THE 'GENERATOR' SWITCH TO RESET THE ALTERNATOR. THE AMMETER CONTINUED TO INDICATE A DISCHARGE, WITH AN OCCASIONAL CHARGE. I SHUT ALL UNNEEDED LIGHTS, BUT DID NOT SHED ALL RADIOS. ZDC HANDED ME OFF TO PXT APCH. PXT CLRED ME TO 5000 FT AND REQUESTED WHETHER SBY TWR SHOULD MOBILIZE THE FIRE BRIGADE. I DECLINED THIS. I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I COULD LOSE RADIO COM AT ANY TIME. PXT THEN PROVIDED CURRENT SBY ARPT INFO. AT 5000 FT, I LOWERED THE GEAR. GEAR IN THIS ACFT IS OPERATED ELECTRICALLY, AND I WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE AVAILABLE BATTERY CHARGE TO GET THIS DONE (RATHER THAN THE MANUAL EXTENSION PROC). GEAR WAS CONFIRMED DOWN (BOTH ELECTRIC LIGHT AND THE MECHANICAL INDICATION). PXT APCH PROVIDED VECTORS TO THE SBY RWY 5 FINAL APCH COURSE, AND CLRED ME TO LAND. HE THEN HANDED ME OFF TO SBY TWR. TWR AGAIN INQUIRED WHETHER FIRE SVCS WOULD BE REQUIRED. AGAIN I DECLINED, AND INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I COULD LOSE RADIO COMS AT ANY TIME. HE ALSO CLRED ME TO LAND. I LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE FBO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MECHS AT SBY EXAMINED THE AIRPLANE THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THEY FOUND THE HOT LEAD FROM THE ALTERNATOR BROKE JUST BEHIND THE CRIMP-ON LUG. AN ALTERNATOR CONVERSION (FROM THE ORIGINAL GENERATOR) WAS DONE ON THE AIRPLANE APPROX 2 YRS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT.

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.