Narrative:

I filed an IFR flight plan from ZZZ to ZZZ1. I received a cleared as filed flight plan to maintain 4000 ft expect 9000 ft 10 mins after departure. When cleared for takeoff I was given a 330 degree heading. When cleared to departure control they gave me a clearance to 6000 ft and a heading to intercept the victor 4 airway. Shortly after receiving the clearance ZZZ reported problems with my mode C altitude reporting at approximately xa:10, northeast of ZZZ3 VOR on V4. I experienced a total electrical failure. I tried reducing the electrical load and resetting the generator reset switch, generator breaker failed and cycled the master switch off then on to no avail. While doing this I climbed to my assigned altitude of 6000 ft in IMC conditions. Shortly after reaching 6000 ft I found an opening in the clouds. Maintaining VFR I descended below the clouds. Once I was stable in cruise below the clouds I used my cellphone to call FSS at about xa:15 to xa:18. Because of a quirk in the cellphone system I got the ZZZ2 FSS. I explained my situation and asked them to call ZZZ and tell them that I was VFR and ok. I requested that they cancel my IFR flight plan. Somehow the flight plan got changed to a VFR flight plan by the time I flew gear down and landed I was approximately 3 hours late and a phone search was in progress for me. They called the airport owner, my home, etc. I called an 800 number the airport owner had been given and it was ZZZ2 FSS and explained the situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft is called a silver eagle cessna 210 modified with a turboprop engine. The reporter said the cause of the loss of primary electrical power was the failure of the main 150 ampere circuit breaker. The reporter stated the breaker could not be reset in the air but did reset while on the ground. The reporter said the aircraft was flown to a repair facility and the breaker remained operative. The reporter stated while at the repair facility the breaker failed twice and was replaced. The reporter said the breaker has a red button used for reset, but cannot be pulled out for electrical power disconnect. The reporter stated this type of breaker is used on many small aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SILVER EAGLE CESSNA 210 TURBOPROP IN CLB AT 4800 FT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER, CAUSED BY A FAILED 150 AMPERE MAIN CB.

Narrative: I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1. I RECEIVED A CLRED AS FILED FLT PLAN TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT EXPECT 9000 FT 10 MINS AFTER DEP. WHEN CLRED FOR TKOF I WAS GIVEN A 330 DEG HEADING. WHEN CLRED TO DEP CTL THEY GAVE ME A CLRNC TO 6000 FT AND A HEADING TO INTERCEPT THE VICTOR 4 AIRWAY. SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING THE CLRNC ZZZ RPTED PROBS WITH MY MODE C ALT RPTING AT APPROXIMATELY XA:10, NE OF ZZZ3 VOR ON V4. I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I TRIED REDUCING THE ELECTRICAL LOAD AND RESETTING THE GENERATOR RESET SWITCH, GENERATOR BREAKER FAILED AND CYCLED THE MASTER SWITCH OFF THEN ON TO NO AVAIL. WHILE DOING THIS I CLBED TO MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000 FT IN IMC CONDITIONS. SHORTLY AFTER REACHING 6000 FT I FOUND AN OPENING IN THE CLOUDS. MAINTAINING VFR I DSNDED BELOW THE CLOUDS. ONCE I WAS STABLE IN CRUISE BELOW THE CLOUDS I USED MY CELLPHONE TO CALL FSS AT ABOUT XA:15 TO XA:18. BECAUSE OF A QUIRK IN THE CELLPHONE SYSTEM I GOT THE ZZZ2 FSS. I EXPLAINED MY SIT AND ASKED THEM TO CALL ZZZ AND TELL THEM THAT I WAS VFR AND OK. I REQUESTED THAT THEY CANCEL MY IFR FLT PLAN. SOMEHOW THE FLT PLAN GOT CHANGED TO A VFR FLT PLAN BY THE TIME I FLEW GEAR DOWN AND LANDED I WAS APPROX 3 HRS LATE AND A PHONE SEARCH WAS IN PROGRESS FOR ME. THEY CALLED THE ARPT OWNER, MY HOME, ETC. I CALLED AN 800 NUMBER THE ARPT OWNER HAD BEEN GIVEN AND IT WAS ZZZ2 FSS AND EXPLAINED THE SIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT IS CALLED A SILVER EAGLE CESSNA 210 MODIFIED WITH A TURBOPROP ENG. THE RPTR SAID THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF PRIMARY ELECTRICAL POWER WAS THE FAILURE OF THE MAIN 150 AMPERE CB. THE RPTR STATED THE BREAKER COULD NOT BE RESET IN THE AIR BUT DID RESET WHILE ON THE GND. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS FLOWN TO A REPAIR FAC AND THE BREAKER REMAINED OPERATIVE. THE RPTR STATED WHILE AT THE REPAIR FAC THE BREAKER FAILED TWICE AND WAS REPLACED. THE RPTR SAID THE BREAKER HAS A RED BUTTON USED FOR RESET, BUT CANNOT BE PULLED OUT FOR ELECTRICAL POWER DISCONNECT. THE RPTR STATED THIS TYPE OF BREAKER IS USED ON MANY SMALL ACFT.

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.