TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN IMC ENDS IN A SAFE LNDG.

Narrative

LEVEL AT 5000 FT WITH RADAR VECTORS ON TRAINING IFR FLT IN IMC WITH LIGHT ICING WHEN ABRUPT COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH ELECTRICAL SMOKE; SPARKS FROM L LOWER EDGE OF INST PANEL. OPENED DOOR TO VENT SMOKE; INSTRUCTOR RADIOED IN BLIND TO ZSE OF EMER DSCNT TO VMC. IN NEXT 1 MIN; MASTER SWITCH OFF AND SPARKS AND SMOKE STOPPED. ALL AVIONICS TURNED OFF AND 1 RADIO TURNED ON AFTER MASTER SWITCH BACK ON WITHOUT APPARENT PROB. INSTRUCTOR SPOKE TO ZSE RPTING VMC; CANCELING IFR; FLT DIVERTING TO AWO. RETURN OF SMOKE; SPARKS. MASTER TURNED OFF AGAIN; BUT A FEW SECONDS LATER; SMOKE AND SPARKS RETURNED. INSTRUCTOR XMITTED IN BLIND TO ZSE OF NEW EMER; ATTEMPTING TO MAKE PAE FOR EMER LNDG. ENG LEANED OFF; FUEL OFF; SWITCH OFF; PROP STOPPED AT 40 KIAS. SPARKS AND SMOKE ABATED. INSTRUCTOR MADE DEAD STICK LNDG TO PAE TXWY WITHOUT INCIDENT. NO PROPERTY OR PERSONAL INJURY. ZSE HAD; IN FACT; NOTIFIED PAE TWR OF EMER. I WAS TOLD BY INSTRUCTOR NEXT DAY THAT ALTERNATOR HAD BEEN REPLACED ON APR/MON/95 WITH 0.3 HRS TAXI AND RUNUP TEST ONLY. INSPECTION SHOWED DAMAGE ALTERNATOR; REGULATOR AND CHANGED WIRING CONSISTENT WITH OVERVOLTAGE.