Emergency diversion to another airport for landing. Initial problem was electrical fire with smoke i...

Attributes
ACN	140871
Time
Date	199003
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewb
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ewb
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : initial descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 891 flight time type : 138
ASRS Report	140871
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Just departed new bedford, ma, and lifted gear and flap handles, waiting for amber light. Light didn't come on so I reached and looked to check breaker. It was in. The electric fuel pump breaker was out. I reset and turned back to the panel. At that instant smoke poured into cabin from under dash on pilot's side. Choking and unable to breathe, I made sure there were no flames before venting cabin and using fire extinguisher. Lost all electrical and wheels had not retracted. I over flew ewb rocking my wings at 1000'. I received no light. I knew I had traffic taking off after me and I didn't know their position, so I flew west away from the field to gain altitude and pump my gear down. I came back to ewb at 1600' again rocking my wings, I received no light. I left ewb and flew to fall river, ma, an unclred field, and landed. The people at the FBO told me ewb tower had contacted them and told them to have me call and come to the tower on my return. I went to the tower, they asked me why I didn't land. I told them what happened in the cockpit and I didn't know the position of traffic in the area. I had no more smoke and I didn't want to land with my gear hanging, endangering my passenger to danger of a fire or worse unless I could pump my gear down. I was concerned about my passenger and any other traffic in the area, and FAA action for landing west/O receiving a light.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMERGENCY DIVERSION TO ANOTHER ARPT FOR LNDG. INITIAL PROBLEM WAS ELECTRICAL FIRE WITH SMOKE IN COCKPIT WHICH WAS EXTINGUISHED BY PLT. TOTAL LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER.

Narrative: JUST DEPARTED NEW BEDFORD, MA, AND LIFTED GEAR AND FLAP HANDLES, WAITING FOR AMBER LIGHT. LIGHT DIDN'T COME ON SO I REACHED AND LOOKED TO CHK BREAKER. IT WAS IN. THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP BREAKER WAS OUT. I RESET AND TURNED BACK TO THE PANEL. AT THAT INSTANT SMOKE POURED INTO CABIN FROM UNDER DASH ON PLT'S SIDE. CHOKING AND UNABLE TO BREATHE, I MADE SURE THERE WERE NO FLAMES BEFORE VENTING CABIN AND USING FIRE EXTINGUISHER. LOST ALL ELECTRICAL AND WHEELS HAD NOT RETRACTED. I OVER FLEW EWB ROCKING MY WINGS AT 1000'. I RECEIVED NO LIGHT. I KNEW I HAD TFC TAKING OFF AFTER ME AND I DIDN'T KNOW THEIR POS, SO I FLEW W AWAY FROM THE FIELD TO GAIN ALT AND PUMP MY GEAR DOWN. I CAME BACK TO EWB AT 1600' AGAIN ROCKING MY WINGS, I RECEIVED NO LIGHT. I LEFT EWB AND FLEW TO FALL RIVER, MA, AN UNCLRED FIELD, AND LANDED. THE PEOPLE AT THE FBO TOLD ME EWB TWR HAD CONTACTED THEM AND TOLD THEM TO HAVE ME CALL AND COME TO THE TWR ON MY RETURN. I WENT TO THE TWR, THEY ASKED ME WHY I DIDN'T LAND. I TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED IN THE COCKPIT AND I DIDN'T KNOW THE POS OF TFC IN THE AREA. I HAD NO MORE SMOKE AND I DIDN'T WANT TO LAND WITH MY GEAR HANGING, ENDANGERING MY PAX TO DANGER OF A FIRE OR WORSE UNLESS I COULD PUMP MY GEAR DOWN. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MY PAX AND ANY OTHER TFC IN THE AREA, AND FAA ACTION FOR LNDG W/O RECEIVING A LIGHT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.

Emergency diversion to another airport for landing. Initial problem was electrical fire with smoke in cockpit which was extinguished by pilot. Total loss of electrical power.