Narrative:

While flying on an IFR flight plan from edg, weide army airfield, to cef, westover airport, the aircraft I was flying experienced an alternator failure over the bridgeport VOR. I notified the ATC facility I was in contact with, bradley approach control, of the problem and pwred the aircraft down to conserve battery power. I turned off all exterior lights, all communication and navigation radios, transponder and interior lights. I continued the flight using a handheld radio for communications and a portable GPS receiver for navigation. Approach control also provided vectors. I requested and received descent to minimum vectoring altitude 2500 ft and established ground contact and VFR conditions. Shortly thereafter, I cancelled the instrument flight plan and proceeded VFR to cef. Remaining battery power was sufficient to lower the landing gear and confirm gear position. Some time later, I called the supervisor of the bradley TRACON as requested and thanked him for the service. I did not consider the event an emergency as VFR conditions existed to my destination and I had communication and navigation capability as well as a means of manually lowering the landing gear if required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA SUFFERS PRIMARY ELECTRICAL SUPPLY PROB ON IFR IMC FLT. GETS FLT ASSIST IN DSCNT TO MINIMUM VECTORING ALT TO ESTABLISH VMC. EMER NOT DECLARED.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM EDG, WEIDE ARMY AIRFIELD, TO CEF, WESTOVER ARPT, THE ACFT I WAS FLYING EXPERIENCED AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE OVER THE BRIDGEPORT VOR. I NOTIFIED THE ATC FACILITY I WAS IN CONTACT WITH, BRADLEY APCH CTL, OF THE PROB AND PWRED THE ACFT DOWN TO CONSERVE BATTERY PWR. I TURNED OFF ALL EXTERIOR LIGHTS, ALL COM AND NAV RADIOS, XPONDER AND INTERIOR LIGHTS. I CONTINUED THE FLT USING A HANDHELD RADIO FOR COMS AND A PORTABLE GPS RECEIVER FOR NAV. APCH CTL ALSO PROVIDED VECTORS. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED DSCNT TO MINIMUM VECTORING ALT 2500 FT AND ESTABLISHED GND CONTACT AND VFR CONDITIONS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I CANCELLED THE INST FLT PLAN AND PROCEEDED VFR TO CEF. REMAINING BATTERY PWR WAS SUFFICIENT TO LOWER THE LNDG GEAR AND CONFIRM GEAR POS. SOME TIME LATER, I CALLED THE SUPVR OF THE BRADLEY TRACON AS REQUESTED AND THANKED HIM FOR THE SVC. I DID NOT CONSIDER THE EVENT AN EMER AS VFR CONDITIONS EXISTED TO MY DEST AND I HAD COM AND NAV CAPABILITY AS WELL AS A MEANS OF MANUALLY LOWERING THE LNDG GEAR IF REQUIRED.

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.