Narrative:

Electrical/alternator failure. On preflight, the alternator belt was fine, although there was some oil on the cowling. The local mechanic at teb said it was from messy oil changes. The alternator checked out on runup, although there was a musty smell in the cabin. When abeam swf, the autoplt started to blink. I pulled the autoplt circuit breaker. A screaming sound came over the radio, which turned out to be the rotating tail beacon, so I shut it off. Although at no time during my scan did I notice the annunciator light go on, I saw the ammeter indicate no load. I performed the items in the alternator-out checklist, and decided that the alternator had failed. In the next 10 seconds the #1 navigation radio failed, the #2 navigation radio failed, followed by both communication radios. I immediately set 7600 on the transponder, which failed 2 seconds later. All of the above events took place in less than 2 mins. At this point I was less than 2 mi north of stewart airport at 3500 ft, within gliding distance. The airplane smelled musty, and I was having second thoughts about the oil I had spotted earlier. Since the annunciator panel never indicated anything, I wasn't sure if it was only an alternator problem. Since it might have been an electrical fire, I decided to land at swf. I had a hand-held receiver (only) and monitored the control tower frequency. I descended sbound into swf's airspace at 2900 ft and turned wbound when 1/2 mi north of runway 27. When abeam the numbers of runway 9, I turned south. There were still no radio communications or light signals from the tower, so I decided to land into the slight winds favoring runway 34. I then descended to traffic pattern altitude, turned onto final and landed. I saw no light signals after I landed while I monitored the ground control frequency. Again, nothing from the tower, so I taxied to the local FBO to call the tower on the phone immediately. I spoke to the tower, the local law enforcement officials, and the FAA and told them what happened. If I could have replayed the incident, I would have done 2 things differently. First, it turns out swf's 'calm wind runway' is runway 27, so I landed on the wrong runway. On the phone the tower told me they did not see me until I had begun to taxi toward the ramp. Second, I should have had more faith in my preflight chkout, which is always quite thorough. In retrospect, I could have taken the extra 5 mins to land at sna, a nearby uncontrolled field. But at the time I didn't want to end up as another statistic in a NTSB accident report. It turned out the musty smell might have come from a cigar which I found in the cabin. I have taken one further precaution to avoid this incident in the future: I purchased a hand- held transceiver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL MADE AN EMER FORCED LNDG AFTER SMELLING SMOKE AND LOSING ALL ELECTRICAL DUE TO FAILURE OF THE ENG ALTERNATOR.

Narrative: ELECTRICAL/ALTERNATOR FAILURE. ON PREFLT, THE ALTERNATOR BELT WAS FINE, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME OIL ON THE COWLING. THE LCL MECH AT TEB SAID IT WAS FROM MESSY OIL CHANGES. THE ALTERNATOR CHKED OUT ON RUNUP, ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A MUSTY SMELL IN THE CABIN. WHEN ABEAM SWF, THE AUTOPLT STARTED TO BLINK. I PULLED THE AUTOPLT CIRCUIT BREAKER. A SCREAMING SOUND CAME OVER THE RADIO, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE THE ROTATING TAIL BEACON, SO I SHUT IT OFF. ALTHOUGH AT NO TIME DURING MY SCAN DID I NOTICE THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT GO ON, I SAW THE AMMETER INDICATE NO LOAD. I PERFORMED THE ITEMS IN THE ALTERNATOR-OUT CHKLIST, AND DECIDED THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED. IN THE NEXT 10 SECONDS THE #1 NAV RADIO FAILED, THE #2 NAV RADIO FAILED, FOLLOWED BY BOTH COM RADIOS. I IMMEDIATELY SET 7600 ON THE XPONDER, WHICH FAILED 2 SECONDS LATER. ALL OF THE ABOVE EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN LESS THAN 2 MINS. AT THIS POINT I WAS LESS THAN 2 MI N OF STEWART ARPT AT 3500 FT, WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE. THE AIRPLANE SMELLED MUSTY, AND I WAS HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT THE OIL I HAD SPOTTED EARLIER. SINCE THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL NEVER INDICATED ANYTHING, I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS ONLY AN ALTERNATOR PROB. SINCE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, I DECIDED TO LAND AT SWF. I HAD A HAND-HELD RECEIVER (ONLY) AND MONITORED THE CTL TWR FREQ. I DSNDED SBOUND INTO SWF'S AIRSPACE AT 2900 FT AND TURNED WBOUND WHEN 1/2 MI N OF RWY 27. WHEN ABEAM THE NUMBERS OF RWY 9, I TURNED S. THERE WERE STILL NO RADIO COMS OR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR, SO I DECIDED TO LAND INTO THE SLIGHT WINDS FAVORING RWY 34. I THEN DSNDED TO TFC PATTERN ALT, TURNED ONTO FINAL AND LANDED. I SAW NO LIGHT SIGNALS AFTER I LANDED WHILE I MONITORED THE GND CTL FREQ. AGAIN, NOTHING FROM THE TWR, SO I TAXIED TO THE LCL FBO TO CALL THE TWR ON THE PHONE IMMEDIATELY. I SPOKE TO THE TWR, THE LCL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS, AND THE FAA AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. IF I COULD HAVE REPLAYED THE INCIDENT, I WOULD HAVE DONE 2 THINGS DIFFERENTLY. FIRST, IT TURNS OUT SWF'S 'CALM WIND RWY' IS RWY 27, SO I LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY. ON THE PHONE THE TWR TOLD ME THEY DID NOT SEE ME UNTIL I HAD BEGUN TO TAXI TOWARD THE RAMP. SECOND, I SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE FAITH IN MY PREFLT CHKOUT, WHICH IS ALWAYS QUITE THOROUGH. IN RETROSPECT, I COULD HAVE TAKEN THE EXTRA 5 MINS TO LAND AT SNA, A NEARBY UNCTLED FIELD. BUT AT THE TIME I DIDN'T WANT TO END UP AS ANOTHER STATISTIC IN A NTSB ACCIDENT RPT. IT TURNED OUT THE MUSTY SMELL MIGHT HAVE COME FROM A CIGAR WHICH I FOUND IN THE CABIN. I HAVE TAKEN ONE FURTHER PRECAUTION TO AVOID THIS INCIDENT IN THE FUTURE: I PURCHASED A HAND- HELD TRANSCEIVER.

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.