December 27, Trenton, Fla. / Cessna Skyhawk

At about 19:50 eastern time, a Cessna 172M lost electrical power near Trenton and crashed in the ensuing forced landing. The pilot and two passengers suffered minor injuries. The pilot said he was in cruise flight when the electrical equipment began to fail. He checked the voltmeter and saw the red light was not illuminated. The voltmeter needle was slightly off the middle scale. He flew about 30 to 40 minutes while trying to locate an airport. A passenger called 911 on a cell phone to get assistance. The pilot spotted an open field and made a forced landing, but on the landing rollout the airplane struck a dirt mound.