DURING A NIGHT VFR XCOUNTRY FLT THE ENG ALTERNATOR FAILED ON AN SMA SEL ATX ACFT.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING AN SMA SEL ACFT ON A SCHEDULED FREIGHT RUN FROM ROANOKE; VA (ROA) TO VIRGINIA HIGHLANDS ARPT (VJI). UPON ARR AT VJI I WAS PERFORMING A ROUTINE INSPECTION OF THE ACFT AND FOUND THE ALTERNATOR TO BE SLIGHTLY LOOSE. I HAD HAD NO INDICATION OF ALTERNATOR PROBS ON THE PREVIOUS FLT. I NOTICED THAT THE BOLTS THAT SECURE THE ALTERNATOR WERE IN PLACE AND SECURED WITH WIRES. I CALLED OUR DIRECTOR OF MAINT TO DETERMINE IF THIS WOULD BE UNSAFE DURING FLT. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD PUT THE ALTERNATOR ON HIMSELF AND IT WOULD BE SAFE TO FLY THE PLANE. ON THE EVENING OF OCT/XX/93; AFTER A REST PERIOD OF APPROX 11 HRS; I DEPARTED FOR ROA. DURING THIS FLT I EXPERIENCED AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE. I WAS IN VFR NIGHT CONDITIONS AND THE FLT WAS CONTINUED WITHOUT EVENT. WHEN ON THE GND IN ROA I WROTE UP THE PROB IN THE DISCREPANCY LOG WHICH GNDED THE PLANE. I THEN CALLED THE DIRECTOR OF OPS AND HE DISPATCHED ANOTHER PLANE AND PLT TO FINISH THE FREIGHT RUN FROM ROA TO RICHMOND. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT MY DEP FROM VJI WAS RECKLESS BECAUSE I SAW THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS SAFETY WIRED AND I HAD NO PROBS WITH IT ON THE FLT ROA-VJI. ALSO; THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT HAD SAID IT WOULD BE SAFE. I BELIEVE FROM NOW ON I WILL HAVE A MECH INSPECT ANYTHING OF THIS NATURE.