Narrative:

En route on a flight from ebs to owb, on an IFR flight plan and in IMC conditions, I experienced a total alternator failure. At the time of the failure I was communicating with springfield approach (118.6). Efforts to get the alternator back in operation by reducing the load and turning altitude on/off, to possibly reset the over voltage relay, were not successful. Flight was continued in IMC, towards destination at an assigned altitude of 5000 ft, with the battery powering only the #1 navigation/communication and the transponder. Efforts to contact spi approach were not successful due to low battery power. Consequently, I decided to squawk 7600, to possibly alert ATC. After flight in precipitation ended, the alternator came back on line, but was cycling on/off. I was able to re-establish contact with spi approach, and, after a short vector to the ILS runway 6, made an uneventful landing at dec. Upon investigation, it was determined that water had penetrated in the field connector and, as a result, the alternator was shorted out. The problem was corrected by a local maintenance facility and the flight was continued to the final destination without further complications. Upon evaluating my own performance under these circumstances, I admit that I was a little bit slow in recognizing the alternator problem after my navigation and communication system started to fail. To keep the alternator output/battery charge/discharge in my scanning pattern is very important when flying single engine IMC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEV35 ON IFR FLT PLAN IN IMC EXPERIENCED TOTAL ALTERNATOR FAILURE. WAS IN CONTACT WITH SPI APCH CTL CONTINUED IMC. REDUCED ELECTRICAL LOAD AND WHEN OUT OF PRECIPITATION AREA GOT PARTIAL OP OF ALTERNATOR. ELECTED TO LAND DEC AND WAS VECTORED BY SPI APCH. FOUND WATER SHORTING OUT ALTERNATOR. PROB CORRECTED AND FLT CONTINUED TO OWB.

Narrative: ENRTE ON A FLT FROM EBS TO OWB, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND IN IMC CONDITIONS, I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ALTERNATOR FAILURE. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH SPRINGFIELD APCH (118.6). EFFORTS TO GET THE ALTERNATOR BACK IN OP BY REDUCING THE LOAD AND TURNING ALT ON/OFF, TO POSSIBLY RESET THE OVER VOLTAGE RELAY, WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL. FLT WAS CONTINUED IN IMC, TOWARDS DEST AT AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 5000 FT, WITH THE BATTERY POWERING ONLY THE #1 NAV/COM AND THE XPONDER. EFFORTS TO CONTACT SPI APCH WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL DUE TO LOW BATTERY PWR. CONSEQUENTLY, I DECIDED TO SQUAWK 7600, TO POSSIBLY ALERT ATC. AFTER FLT IN PRECIPITATION ENDED, THE ALTERNATOR CAME BACK ON LINE, BUT WAS CYCLING ON/OFF. I WAS ABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH SPI APCH, AND, AFTER A SHORT VECTOR TO THE ILS RWY 6, MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT DEC. UPON INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WATER HAD PENETRATED IN THE FIELD CONNECTOR AND, AS A RESULT, THE ALTERNATOR WAS SHORTED OUT. THE PROB WAS CORRECTED BY A LCL MAINT FACILITY AND THE FLT WAS CONTINUED TO THE FINAL DEST WITHOUT FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. UPON EVALUATING MY OWN PERFORMANCE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, I ADMIT THAT I WAS A LITTLE BIT SLOW IN RECOGNIZING THE ALTERNATOR PROB AFTER MY NAV AND COM SYS STARTED TO FAIL. TO KEEP THE ALTERNATOR OUTPUT/BATTERY CHARGE/DISCHARGE IN MY SCANNING PATTERN IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN FLYING SINGLE ENG IMC.

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.