A CESSNA 172 HAS COMPLETE ELECTRICAL PWR FAILURE LOSING CONTACT WITH ATC AND PROCEEDS TO PLANNED DEST. CAUSED BY ALTERNATOR FAILURE.

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I WAS FLYING A CLUB PLANE THAT HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF TRANSPONDER PROBLEM. THERE WAS A NOTE TO ADVISE MAINT OF ANY FURTHER PROB. PROB OCCURRED ON THE LAST LEG OF A TWO DAY TRIP. ALSO; THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY THAT GENERAL AVIATION WAS ALLOWED TO FLY FOLLOWING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS. ALL FLTS WERE CTLED; AND WE WERE BEING WARNED TO REVIEW INTERCEPT PROCEDURES. I WAS FIRST AWARE OF A PROB WHEN INDY CENTER INFORMED ME THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY TRANSPONDER. BECAUSE OF THE HISTORY OF A PROB; I THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST THE TRANSPONDER ACTING UP. AS I TRIED RECYCLING; TURNING OFF AND ON; GIGGLING THE CONNECTION WIRES; I LOST CONTACT WITH CENTER. RADIO ONE WENT OUT (NAV AND COMM). I CONTINUED TO SEARCH FOR A WIRING PROBLEM AND RADIO ONE CAME BACK ON. I SPOKE WITH INDY CENTER AND THEY ASKED FOR POSITION REPORT; WHICH I GAVE. AS I CONTINUED TO FLY; I LOST CONTACT AGAIN. I WAS UNABLE TO GET RADIO ONE BACK SO EVENTUALLY I SWITCHED TO RADIO TWO. INDY CENTER TOLD ME I NEEDED TO LAND AND HAVE THE TRANSPONDER FIXED. AS THEY WERE CHECKING TO TELL ME WHICH AIRPORT WAS CLOSEST (I WAS BETWEEN LONDON; KNOXVILLE AND ASHEVILLE) I LOST CONTACT AGAIN. I NEVER REGAINED CONTACT. MY FLT PLAN WAS TO ASHEVILLE AND THAT WAS ABOUT AS CLOSE AS THE OTHER AIRPORTS MENTIONED SO I CONTINUED ON. IN RETROSPECT; I HAD LOST AN ALTERNATOR AND CONSEQUENTLY SUFFERED ELECTRICAL FAILURE. BECAUSE THIS PLANE HAD A HISTORY OF A TRANSPONDER PROBLEM I HAD BECOME FIXATED ON THIS. ALSO; THE LAYOUT OF INSTRUMENTS IN A CESSNA 172 DOES NOT ALLOW ONE TO SEE THE AMMETER WITHOUT MAKING AN EFFORT AND CONTINUOUSLY THINKING TO LOOK. IF I WOULD HAVE REALIZED WHAT WAS TRANSPIRING; I COULD HAVE SHUT DOWN LIGHTS AND INSTRUMENTS IN TIME TO PERHAPS MAINTAIN RADIO CONTACT. ALSO GIVEN MY STATE OF MIND. I FOCUSED ON STAYING VFR; FLYING OVER THE MOUNTAIN WITH NO INSTRUMENT AID; WATCHING FOR TFC AND LNDG SO I COULD GET THIS EXPERIENCE BEHIND ME. AS I APCHED THE ARPT; I WAS MOSTLY FOCUSED ON WATCHING FOR TFC AND I ENTERED THE PATTERN AS YOU WOULD FOR VFR. I LOOKED BRIEFLY AT THE TWR; BUT I WAS NOT THINKING OF LOOKING FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS UNTIL AFTER I WAS ON THE GND; OUT OF THE PLANE AND THE GENTLEMAN FROM THE FIRE DEPT ASKED IF THE TWR HAD SIGNALED ME.