A PA31-350 pilot diverted to a nearby airport when his instrument lighting began to fail; followed b...

Attributes
ACN	1121192
Time
Date	201310
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.ARTCC
State Reference	US
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	PA-31T Cheyenne I
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	Cruise
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Electrical Power
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 120 Flight Crew Total 3400 Flight Crew Type 2500
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor

Narrative:

I was at cruise when my panel lights started flickering and I started to smell smoke. My first thought was the heater might have been acting up so I turned it off. I then noticed the smoke was intensifying. I opened the windows and figured out the smoke was coming from the circuit breaker panel on the co-pilot's side. There was a very intense glow that I could see behind the circuit breakers. I managed to pull one of the breakers from where it looked like the glow was centered. About this time I could see an airport off the front right side of the nose so I informed center that I had smoke in the cockpit and was going to land there. I got her slowed up; dropped the gear and flaps and headed for the runway. While on the approach the glow and the smoke were still intensifying and the panel was melting. It appeared that there were flames behind the panel. I turned final and lost all my lights to my instruments. After I landed; I called center to tell him I made it in; turned everything off and opened the door. After everything was off the glow dissipated and eventually went out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA31-350 pilot diverted to a nearby airport when his instrument lighting began to fail; followed by intensifying heat and smoke emanating from the Circuit Breaker Panel.

Narrative: I was at cruise when my panel lights started flickering and I started to smell smoke. My first thought was the heater might have been acting up so I turned it off. I then noticed the smoke was intensifying. I opened the windows and figured out the smoke was coming from the circuit breaker panel on the co-pilot's side. There was a very intense glow that I could see behind the circuit breakers. I managed to pull one of the breakers from where it looked like the glow was centered. About this time I could see an airport off the front right side of the nose so I informed Center that I had smoke in the cockpit and was going to land there. I got her slowed up; dropped the gear and flaps and headed for the runway. While on the approach the glow and the smoke were still intensifying and the panel was melting. It appeared that there were flames behind the panel. I turned final and lost all my lights to my instruments. After I landed; I called Center to tell him I made it in; turned everything off and opened the door. After everything was off the glow dissipated and eventually went out.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A PA31-350 pilot diverted to a nearby airport when his instrument lighting began to fail; followed by intensifying heat and smoke emanating from the circuit breaker panel.