Narrative:

Departed with an IFR clearance bound for ucy. Upon reaching my assigned altitude of 3000 ft; I had an unforecast icing situation. Also; I began experiencing communications problems with memphis center. Apparently center could not hear my report of ice accumulation which after about 5 minutes was approximately one half of an inch. I realized I could not stay at 3000 ft and pick up more ice so I squawked 7600 on the transponder and began a descent. Upon reaching about 2300 ft; I could begin seeing the ground and descended to VFR conditions and proceeded direct to the airport. Upon reaching the traffic pattern I realized a complete electrical failure. I called jackson FSS and promptly canceled IFR. Unforecasted ice was the major problem and; my failure to realize I was losing electrical power; which is hard to do in a PA-28 because it only had a loadmeter which was working properly before departure.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the aircraft's voltage regulator was the failed component. He did not declare an emergency during this event and when talking with ATC after landing was told that the controllers were simply pleased he was able to land safely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT HAD A VOLTAGE REGULATOR FAILURE CAUSING A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE THE PLT ENCOUNTERED UNFORECAST ICING; FORCING A DSCNT AND IFR CANCELLATION.

Narrative: DEPARTED WITH AN IFR CLRNC BOUND FOR UCY. UPON REACHING MY ASSIGNED ALT OF 3000 FT; I HAD AN UNFORECAST ICING SITUATION. ALSO; I BEGAN EXPERIENCING COMS PROBLEMS WITH MEMPHIS CTR. APPARENTLY CTR COULD NOT HEAR MY RPT OF ICE ACCUMULATION WHICH AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES WAS APPROX ONE HALF OF AN INCH. I REALIZED I COULD NOT STAY AT 3000 FT AND PICK UP MORE ICE SO I SQUAWKED 7600 ON THE XPONDER AND BEGAN A DSCNT. UPON REACHING ABOUT 2300 FT; I COULD BEGIN SEEING THE GND AND DSNDED TO VFR CONDITIONS AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO THE ARPT. UPON REACHING THE TFC PATTERN I REALIZED A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I CALLED JACKSON FSS AND PROMPTLY CANCELED IFR. UNFORECASTED ICE WAS THE MAJOR PROBLEM AND; MY FAILURE TO REALIZE I WAS LOSING ELECTRICAL POWER; WHICH IS HARD TO DO IN A PA-28 BECAUSE IT ONLY HAD A LOADMETER WHICH WAS WORKING PROPERLY BEFORE DEP.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT'S VOLTAGE REGULATOR WAS THE FAILED COMPONENT. HE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER DURING THIS EVENT AND WHEN TALKING WITH ATC AFTER LNDG WAS TOLD THAT THE CTLRS WERE SIMPLY PLEASED HE WAS ABLE TO LAND SAFELY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.