PLT OF AN SMA ACFT LOST ALL RADIO COM NAV DUE TO A TOTAL LOSS OF THE ACFT ELECTRICAL SYS DURING AN IFR FLT IN IMC CAUSING THE PLT TO MAKE A FORCED LNDG ON A ROAD.

Narrative

I WAS IN CRUISE ENRTE FROM ST LOUIS TO MILWAUKEE IN SOLID IMC. CTR INFORMED ME THEY HAD LOST MY TRANSPONDER. I ATTEMPTED TO RESPOND. THEY CALLED ME AGAIN. I ATTEMPTED TO RESPOND TWICE MORE. REALIZING RADIO PROBLEMS; I ATTEMPTED TO CALL ON COM 2 SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. FROM THERE; I CALLED ON THE OTHER CTR FREQS WHILE CHANGING MY TRANSPONDER TO EMER AND FOLLOWING STANDARD LOSS OF COM PROCS FOR IFR FLT. THEN I ATTEMPTED TO CALL ON 121.5 WITH NO RESPONSE. REALIZING AND ACCEPTING THE LOSS OF RADIOS; I STARTED TO TROUBLESHOOT IN DEPTH; BREAKERS CYCLED; IE; THE CHKLIST; ETC. REALIZING I HAD NO FORM OF ELECTRICAL PWR; I HAD LOST ALL FORMS OF NAV; KNOWING I HAD 2 HRS OF FUEL LEFT ON BOARD; AND THE NEAREST POSSIBLE VFR WAS MUCH FURTHER N (MY WX BRIEFINGS (2) PAID OFF). I CHOSE TO DSND TO THE MEA/LOWEST SECTOR ALT (SECTIONAL CHART) FOR MY APPROX POS. UPON REACHING I RECEIVED SOME GND CONTACT; YET STILL MAINLY COVERED BY CLOUDS; I DSNDED LOWER. BEFORE I DID THIS; I TURNED MY ELT ON IN CASE OF A CRASH; IT WOULD BE OPERATING FOR SURE. IT WAS REMOTELY OPERATED. DSNDING FURTHER; I BROKE OUT; FINDING A NICE STRETCH OF COUNTRY GRAVEL ROAD. UNSURE OF MY EXACT LOCATION; I CHKED FOR WIRES; FENCES CARS; ETC; AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL AND SAFE APCH AND LNDG. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE PLANE OR PROPERTY; AND NO INJURIES. I NOTIFIED FSS; THE POLICE; AND THE FBO FROM WHICH THE PLANE WAS RENTED. THE FBO; LATER THAT DAY; FLEW IT OUT AFTER REPAIRS. THE PLANE; AN SMA; HAD NO ALTERNATOR WARNING LIGHT AND NO AMMETER. ALL IT HAD WAS A LOAD INDICATOR. THE LOAD INDICATOR FAILED TO MOVE TILL AFTER THE BATTERY HAD BEEN DRAWN DEAD. THIS I FEEL IS THE WEAK POINT. SHOULD THE PLANE HAVE BEEN EQUIPPED WITH AN AMMETER FOR THE ALTERNATOR WOULD HAVE WARNED ME IN TIME TO MAKE A LNDG AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT UNDER BATTERY PWR. THE OTHER THING IS NOT FLYING SINGLE ENG IFR UNDER SUCH AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF IMC.