TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN IMC.

Narrative

TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN IMC ACFT 2 HRS TIME SINCE TOP OVERHAUL. SUDDEN LOSS OF COM AND NAV. ULTIMATE CAUSE WAS BREAK IN ALTERNATOR PRIMARY. HAND-HELD RADIO WITH JACK TO EXTERNAL COM 2 ANTENNA USED TO DECLARE AN EMER SIT. COM ESTABLISHED AND VECTORED TO ARPT FOR SAR APCH WITH 400 FPM DSCNT ON FINAL GLIDE PATH. NO ADVERSE OUTCOME. EXCELLENT RESPONSE FROM ATC IN MHT TWR. ONLY DIFFICULTY WAS EXCESSIVE ATC CTL OF OTHER ACFT AND TRYING TO HEAR IN LESS THAN IDEAL NOISE ENVIRONMENT TO A HAND-HELD RADIO BY MY EAR. EXTRA DIVERSION TO LISTEN TO COMS TO ME; WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TO HAVE UNIQUE FREQ. I WAS TRYING TO ISOLATE 1 NAVIGATIONAL INSTR IF POSSIBLE.; MANUALLY LOWER GEAR AND NAV AND FLY IN IMC. HVY WORKLOAD. VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE ASSISTANCE I GOT WHICH WAS COOL; DIRECT AND MADE ME AWARE OF OTHER ALTERNATIVES. MANY THANKS. ALSO MAY THANKS TO TWR AT PWM WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN COOPERATIVE IN GIVING SAR APCHS BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT GYROS. I HAVE REGULARLY MADE TRAINING APCHS AT PWM; MY HOME BASE; AND THE TRAINING AND PRESENCE OF AN EMER HAND-HELD RADIO REALLY PAID OFF.