AN SMA PLT SHREDDED HIS ALTERNATOR DRIVE BELT CAUSING HIM TO LOSE RADIO CONTACT IN IMC.

Narrative

FAILURE OF 2 COMS AND NAV RADIOS AND ACFT INTERCOM DURING AN IFR FLT FROM APPLETON; WI; TO PAL-WAUKEE ARPT; WHEELING; IL; RESULTED IN A LOSS OF COMS. RIGHT AFTER LOSING THE ACFT RADIOS; THE PLANE ENTERED CLOUDS AND IFR CONDITIONS FROM VFR CONDITIONS. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS; A FEW MINS; THE PLANE ENTERED VFR CONDITIONS AND A DECISION WAS MADE TO REMAIN IN VFR; CONTINUING THE FLT UNDER VFR; AND TO DIVERT TO THE KENOSHA; WI; ARPT; 15 MI AWAY. THE ARPT WAS VFR AND A LNDG WAS MADE AT KENOSHA; WI. AFTER LNDG THE GREEN BAY; WI; FSS WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PLANE'S DIVERSION AND REQUESTED TO CLOSE THE IFR FLT PLAN. ABOUT 40 MINS LATER; AN INSPECTION WAS MADE OF THE AIRPLANE RADIOS AND THEY WORKED NORMALLY. THE PLANE WAS RESTARTED WITH A BATTERY BOOST AND THE FLT RESUMED VFR TO PAL- WAUKEE; IL. ENRTE; ABOUT 18 MI N OF PAL-WAUKEE; A RADIO CALL WAS MADE TO THE PAL-WAUKEE TWR ADVISING THEM OF THE PLANE'S POS; AND LNDG INTENTIONS AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF RADIO. THE TWR ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION AND ADVISED TO EXPECT A LIGHT SIGNAL FOR LNDG IF RADIO COMS WERE LOST. 5 MI LATER; THE PLANE'S RADIOS AND ELECTRICAL SYS FAILED LEAVING ONLY A BATTERY PWR GLOBAL POSITIONING NAV RECEIVER OPERATING. ARRIVING AT THE PAL-WAUKEE; IL; ARPT; A CIRCLE WAS MADE OF THE TFC PATTERN AND A GREEN SIGNAL LIGHT WAS OBSERVED. HOWEVER; DURING BASE TO FINAL APCH; ANOTHER LIGHT AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED LNDG ON THE INTENDED RWY. A GAR PROC WAS MADE AND A CIRCLE OF THE PATTERN MADE FOLLOWED BY A LNDG. A POST-FLT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE ALTERNATOR BELT HAD RIPPED APART AND HAD BROKEN. THE BATTERY WAS RECHARGED FOR 5 HRS AND A NEW ALTERNATOR BELT WAS INSTALLED. THE PLANE WAS FLOWN BACK TO APPLETON.