Narrative:

While flying between gwo, ms, and lit, ar, on an IFR flight plan, the airplane sustained an alternator failure that led to complete loss of electrical power with subsequent loss of the function of the communication and navigation radios. I had had 2 preflight WX briefings, both with the use of duats and with the greenwood FSS, approximately 1 1/2 hours prior to departure. There was airmet for icing but the freezing level along the route of flight was above 10000 ft. My planned flight was at 6000 ft MSL. I obtained my IFR clearance from gso FSS prior to departing from greenwood. I climbed without incident to 6000 ft and was in and out of the cloud tops at that level. About 15 mins into the flight, I first noticed that the ammeter was discharging. I could not re-establish operation of the alternator and I contacted ZME and declared an emergency. I was given vectors to the airport in cleveland, ms, and cleared to descend to 2100 ft and cleared for a GPS 35 approach. At that altitude, while making the procedure turn inbound, I began to experience icing on the windscreen and abandoned the approach and climbed back to 6000 ft. At that time, I requested that ZME permit me to fly to lit, where hopefully I would be able to do an ILS or surveillance approach. I informed memphis that I would shut off all of my electrical equipment to try to maintain as much of the power as possible in the battery. I continued to fly in the general direction of little rock. When I estimated that I was about 60 mi from little rock, using my cellular telephone, I first contacted FSS and then was given a direct number to contact lit approach control. The controller at lit approach informed me that I was 20 mi east of pine bluff and suggested that I attempt an ILS approach into pine bluff. While he was vectoring me for the approach, I turned the radio on and found that I experienced total electrical failure. He then suggested that he could permit me to descend to 1800 ft MSL. Pine bluff was reporting an 1800 ft overcast at that time. He gave me a vector to pine bluff and cleared me to descend to 1800 ft. At that point, I did break out into the clear, and with his assistance with a vector, was able to land without incident at the airport in pine bluff. Prior to takeoff, I had done a careful preflight and run-up, including checking the ammeter on several occasions. In retrospect, there was no warning that the alternator was about to fail. Although the temperature conditions on the ground suggested a potential problem for icing, the forecast freezing level was far above the altitude at which I was flying. Certainly, the use of my cellular phone was lifesaving.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER DECLARED BY A C182 PLT WHEN HE LOSES HIS AC GENERATION ON AN IMC FLT TO LITTLE ROCK, DIVERTING WITH ATC'S HELP TO PBF, AR.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING BTWN GWO, MS, AND LIT, AR, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE THAT LED TO COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR WITH SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF THE FUNCTION OF THE COM AND NAV RADIOS. I HAD HAD 2 PREFLT WX BRIEFINGS, BOTH WITH THE USE OF DUATS AND WITH THE GREENWOOD FSS, APPROX 1 1/2 HRS PRIOR TO DEP. THERE WAS AIRMET FOR ICING BUT THE FREEZING LEVEL ALONG THE RTE OF FLT WAS ABOVE 10000 FT. MY PLANNED FLT WAS AT 6000 FT MSL. I OBTAINED MY IFR CLRNC FROM GSO FSS PRIOR TO DEPARTING FROM GREENWOOD. I CLBED WITHOUT INCIDENT TO 6000 FT AND WAS IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUD TOPS AT THAT LEVEL. ABOUT 15 MINS INTO THE FLT, I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE AMMETER WAS DISCHARGING. I COULD NOT RE-ESTABLISH OP OF THE ALTERNATOR AND I CONTACTED ZME AND DECLARED AN EMER. I WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO THE ARPT IN CLEVELAND, MS, AND CLRED TO DSND TO 2100 FT AND CLRED FOR A GPS 35 APCH. AT THAT ALT, WHILE MAKING THE PROC TURN INBOUND, I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE ICING ON THE WINDSCREEN AND ABANDONED THE APCH AND CLBED BACK TO 6000 FT. AT THAT TIME, I REQUESTED THAT ZME PERMIT ME TO FLY TO LIT, WHERE HOPEFULLY I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO AN ILS OR SURVEILLANCE APCH. I INFORMED MEMPHIS THAT I WOULD SHUT OFF ALL OF MY ELECTRICAL EQUIP TO TRY TO MAINTAIN AS MUCH OF THE PWR AS POSSIBLE IN THE BATTERY. I CONTINUED TO FLY IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF LITTLE ROCK. WHEN I ESTIMATED THAT I WAS ABOUT 60 MI FROM LITTLE ROCK, USING MY CELLULAR TELEPHONE, I FIRST CONTACTED FSS AND THEN WAS GIVEN A DIRECT NUMBER TO CONTACT LIT APCH CTL. THE CTLR AT LIT APCH INFORMED ME THAT I WAS 20 MI E OF PINE BLUFF AND SUGGESTED THAT I ATTEMPT AN ILS APCH INTO PINE BLUFF. WHILE HE WAS VECTORING ME FOR THE APCH, I TURNED THE RADIO ON AND FOUND THAT I EXPERIENCED TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. HE THEN SUGGESTED THAT HE COULD PERMIT ME TO DSND TO 1800 FT MSL. PINE BLUFF WAS RPTING AN 1800 FT OVCST AT THAT TIME. HE GAVE ME A VECTOR TO PINE BLUFF AND CLRED ME TO DSND TO 1800 FT. AT THAT POINT, I DID BREAK OUT INTO THE CLR, AND WITH HIS ASSISTANCE WITH A VECTOR, WAS ABLE TO LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT AT THE ARPT IN PINE BLUFF. PRIOR TO TKOF, I HAD DONE A CAREFUL PREFLT AND RUN-UP, INCLUDING CHKING THE AMMETER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. IN RETROSPECT, THERE WAS NO WARNING THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS ABOUT TO FAIL. ALTHOUGH THE TEMP CONDITIONS ON THE GND SUGGESTED A POTENTIAL PROB FOR ICING, THE FORECAST FREEZING LEVEL WAS FAR ABOVE THE ALT AT WHICH I WAS FLYING. CERTAINLY, THE USE OF MY CELLULAR PHONE WAS LIFESAVING.

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.