SMA SUFFERS COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE WHILE FLYING IN IMC AT NIGHT AND PICKING UP ICE.

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I FILED FOR 5000 FT BUT WAS CLRED FOR 7000 FT PRIOR TO INTERSECTING V16 N OF THE CYN VOR. AT 7000 FT I WAS PICKING UP LIGHT RIME SO I REQUESTED A CHANGE IN ALT. I WAS TOLD LOWER WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE XING JFK SO I OPTED FOR 9000 FT. AT 9000 FT THE CONDITIONS DIDN'T IMPROVE SO I REQUESTED HIGHER. DURING THE COURSE OF THE FLT; I WAS GIVEN A TA AND TURNED ON MY LNDG LIGHT. APPROX 15 MI S OF JFK I NOTICED A DISCHARGE ON THE AMMETER AND THAT THE ALTERNATOR BREAKER HAD POPPED. I SHUT DOWN THE AVIONICS; PITOT HEAT; LIGHTS; ETC AND ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE BREAKER. WHEN I BROUGHT THE ALTERNATOR BACK ON LINE EVERYTHING WENT BLACK AND I SMELLED SOMETHING HOT. AT THE SAME TIME I WAS REACHING FOR THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH I KNOCKED MY FLASHLIGHT ONTO THE FLOOR AND ENDED UP IN A PITCH BLACK COCKPIT. THIS WAS BY FAR THE MOST URGENT PORTION OF THE EMER. I STARTED TO PANIC AND WAS REACHING ON THE FLOOR WHILE STILL HOLDING ONTO THE YOKE. I CALMED MYSELF DOWN AND LET GO OF THE YOKE KNOWING I HAD A SLIGHT FUEL IMBAL. I EXPECTED TO GO INTO A L TURN AND HOPED THAT I WOULD NOT DEVELOPED INTO A SPIRAL. I TRIED TO SEE THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON; BUT EVEN 4 INCHES FROM THE PANEL I COULDN'T MAKE IT OUT VERY WELL. FINALLY I MANAGED TO FIND THE FLASHLIGHT UNDER THE RUDDER PEDALS. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW LONG I WAS IN THE DARK; I'M SURE IT WAS ONLY A MIN OR SO BUT IT SEEMED MUCH LONGER. AFTER I LOCATED THE FLASHLIGHT; I FELT BACK IN CTL AND ABLE TO CONSIDER MY OPTIONS. I STARTED A CLB TO SEE IF I COULD GET ON TOP AND AT LEAST THINK MY OPTIONS OVER. AT THE SAME TIME I STARTED EVALUATING THE FAILURE. I ASSUMED THE ALTERNATOR WAS OPERATIONAL WHEN THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED. I ALSO ASSUMED I HAD BEEN RUNNING THE BATTERY DOWN FOR AT LEAST 10 MINS PRIOR TO SEEING THE DISCHARGE ON THE AMMETER. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESET AND BRING THE ALTERNATOR BACK ON LINE; I ASSUMED A DIODE IN THE ALTERNATOR MUST HAVE SHORTED OUT PUTTING A VERY HVY DISCHARGE ON THE SYS. TURNING THE MASTER SWITCH BACK ON CAUSED A FULL SCALE DEFLECTION OF THE AMMETER. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT AN ELECTRICAL FIRE BUT I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER TO TRIP IF I COULD LEAVE IT ON LONG ENOUGH. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS THE BREAKER TRIPPED LEAVING ME WITH AT LEAST SOME AMOUNT OF BATTERY IN RESERVE. I TURNED ON 1 COMS RADIO AND CALLED APCH. I TOLD HIM OF MY SIT AND DECLARED AN EMER. THE CTLR WAS VERY HELPFUL. HE ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO LAND; I DECIDED THAT WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION SO I SAID YES. HE GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND VECTORS TO JFK. I BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 3500 FT MSL AND WAS HANDED OVER TO THE TWR. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL; WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HAVING TO HAND PUMP THE GEAR DOWN. THIS WAS A VERY TRAUMATIC EMER MAINLY DUE TO THE COMPLETE LOSS OF LIGHTING AT NIGHT IN SOLID IMC. IN THE FUTURE; I PLAN TO ATTACH A STRING TO A SMALL PENLIGHT FLASHLIGHT AND ATTACH IT WITH VELCRO TO A SIDE PANEL SO IT WILL BE AVAILABLE IF I EVER ENCOUNTER A SIT LIKE THIS AGAIN. I ALSO PLAN TO CHANGE THE ALTERNATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER TO THE TYPE THAT CAN BE PULLED MANUALLY. I HAVE NOT HAD MY MECH EXAMINE THE ELECTRICAL SYS AT THIS POINT; SO I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT REASON FOR THE FAILURE; JUST MY ASSUMPTIONS BASED ON THE SYMPTOMS I HAVE RPTED HERE.