SMA HAS ELECTRICAL FAILURE; FLIES AT NIGHT WITH NO LIGHTS.

Narrative

I DEPARTED VAN NUYS FOR WHAT WAS TO BE A ROUTINE ROUND ROBIN TO SANTA BARBARA. ABOUT 10 MI E OF CAMARILLO; I NOTICED RADIO COMS WERE GARBLED; AT BEST; ON BOTH RADIOS. I SUSPECTED A LACK OF PWR. I LOOKED AT THE AMMETER; WHICH WAS HARDLY DEFLECTED; AND BEGAN TO SUSPECT ALTERNATOR FAILURE. I TURNED ON EVERYTHING IN THE COCKPIT TO LOAD THE ALTERNATOR AND SEE IF I COULD GET A PROPER INDICATION ON THE AMMETER. AFTER CHKING ALL BREAKERS AND SWITCHES; I DETERMINED MY BATTERY WAS DEAD AND ALTERNATOR HAD FAILED. I SHUT OFF ALL SYS; EXCEPT FOR XPONDER; WHICH WAS SQUAWKING 7600. I LOOKED AT MY OPTIONS: 1) CONTINUE TO SANTA BARBARA THROUGH THE ARSA AND LAND; 2) LAND AT SANTA PAULA (UNCTLED); 3) TURN BACK TO THE HIGH DENSITY AIRSPACE AT VAN NUYS AND LAND; OR; 4) LAND AT CAMARILLO. I DECIDED THE SAFEST OPTION WAS TO LAND AT CAMARILLO. I CIRCLED DOWN FROM 4500 FT; ABOUT 3 MI N; ABEAM THE TWR; TO LOOK FOR THE GREEN SIGNAL. UNFORTUNATELY; AT THIS TIME THE SUN WAS RIGHT ON THE HORIZON AND I COULD HARDLY SEE ANYTHING BUT GLARE OFF THE TWR. UPON RECEIVING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A STEADY GREEN LIGHT; I ENTERED THE PATTERN AT A 45 DEG ANGLE AND EXTENDED MY DOWNWIND TO ALLOW THE PLANES IN FRONT OF ME TO LAND. I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND AFTER GETTING THE FLASHING GREEN LIGHT; TAXIED TO PARKING. I WAS QUESTIONED AND RELEASED. AFTER COORDINATING WITH CAMARILLO AND VAN NUYS TWRS FOR NO RADIO/XPONDER/ELECTRICAL DEP ON ARR; I GOT THE PLANE JUMP STARTED AND DEPARTED CAMARILLO WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD COORDINATED WITH VAN NUYS FOR AN XX20 PM (PST) ARR WHICH I WOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE MAKING. I ENTERED THE ATA ON SCHEDULE AND ENTERED THE PATTERN AS PREVIOUSLY PLANNED. AS I WAS DOWNWIND I WAS CONSTANTLY ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR BUT NEVER RECEIVED ANY. IT WAS ALREADY DARK AT THIS TIME SO I COULD EASILY SEE THE PLANES THAT WERE LINED UP ON THE ILS RWY 16R FOR LNDG. I EXTENDED DOWNWIND UNTIL THE LAST PLANE HAD PASSED AND THEN TURNED IN FOR THE APCH. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL; THERE WERE NO PLANES THAT HAD TO GAR OR DEVIATE BECAUSE OF MY ACTIONS. IN LOOKING BACK ON THIS ORDEAL; I THINK I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR A SIGNAL FROM VAN NUYS TWR BEFORE I LANDED BUT EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE EXPECTING ME; I DON'T THINK THEY SAW ME DUE TO THE FACT IT WAS DARK AND I HAD NO LIGHTS. THE COMPLETE DARKNESS; I THINK IS WHAT MADE ME DECIDE TO GO AHEAD AND LAND AND I NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE NEED FOR SAFETY CONCERNING MYSELF AND THE OTHERS INVOLVED IN THE SITUATION.