Narrative:

XA30 obtained WX and filed flight plan (strong crosswind on departure, ok at destination). XA40 preflight and fuel etc. Dead battery. Jumped started without problem (used pipa calder). XA55 ammeter showing strong charge, but all other system running correctly. I was uncomfortable with the ammeter, but anticipated that it related to the recharge on the battery. I did the run-up twice and double checked all electrical system to insure all ok. XB05 lift-off with heavy turbulence. Radios and system working ok. No signs of any failure yet. Ammeter still on full charge. XB20 I heard a loud 'pop' then smelled smoke. Large volume of thick smoke coming from radio stack. Quickly shut down electrical system (had hand held radio and GPS). Before that was accomplished, radios and all navigation, but LORAN also smoking and not working. I notified ATC using my hand held (squawk 7700) just in case working. Then executed 180 degree turn heading back to airport. LORAN had a blown circuit breaker, not fully functional, but had heading and distance. Continued to call ATC. Could hear them. They couldn't hear me. Sounded like they were clearing me an alley! I had interior instrument lights, but all others gone. XB40 indented the lights at spinet (sus) and did a standard approach (crosswind) only abbreviated. Mechanicals working ok, engine performing fine. Unable to announce position. No problem with landing, just made it quick, worried about flames. Contacted tower to notify ATC at stl. She had already accomplished this. Secured aircraft and called NTSB. The chain began with the failed battery, probably should have stayed for the night. Family commitments planned and I figured jump would take care of things (battery 5 yrs old) -- expected. Ammeter should have given pause, but know that recharging caused the system abnormalities. With double system checks thought I could identify problem. Next time, a&P will have to check prior to my departure, just to make sure!! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this pilot was flying a PA28-180 and as he discovered later the battery had completed failed. After he jump started the aircraft he noted that the ammeter showed a high charge rate and he initially thought that that was because of the depleted battery. As he has since found out, this is a dangerous situation on this and similar electrical system. The reporter alleges that the mechanics that replaced the battery and some of the other electrical components said that his system does not have current limiters and since the battery was not functioning it allowed the alternator's high current output to go directly to the radios and other electrical system causing them to fail or their circuit breakers to open. In fact, the reporter said that as the smoke continued to pour from the radio stack he did locate and pull the main 60 amp electrical circuit breaker and he said that the mechanics told him that the breaker should have opened automatically, but pulling it was probably what saved him by stopped the fire and smoke. The reporter said that he will now replace the battery if it goes dead in the future. He also recommends that the manufacturer address this problem in its aircraft manuals and checklists. The reporter said that an insert of some sort would be sufficient.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GA PLT FLYING A PA28-180 JUMP STARTS THE ACFT WHEN HE DISCOVERS THAT THE BATTERY IS DEAD AND TAKES OFF AT NIGHT WITH THE AMMETER READING HIGH. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THICK SMOKE COMES FROM THE RADIOS AND THE PLT PULLS THE MAIN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKER AND RETURNS FOR AN EMER LNDG.

Narrative: XA30 OBTAINED WX AND FILED FLT PLAN (STRONG XWIND ON DEP, OK AT DEST). XA40 PREFLT AND FUEL ETC. DEAD BATTERY. JUMPED STARTED WITHOUT PROB (USED PIPA CALDER). XA55 AMMETER SHOWING STRONG CHARGE, BUT ALL OTHER SYS RUNNING CORRECTLY. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE AMMETER, BUT ANTICIPATED THAT IT RELATED TO THE RECHARGE ON THE BATTERY. I DID THE RUN-UP TWICE AND DOUBLE CHKED ALL ELECTRICAL SYS TO INSURE ALL OK. XB05 LIFT-OFF WITH HVY TURB. RADIOS AND SYS WORKING OK. NO SIGNS OF ANY FAILURE YET. AMMETER STILL ON FULL CHARGE. XB20 I HEARD A LOUD 'POP' THEN SMELLED SMOKE. LARGE VOLUME OF THICK SMOKE COMING FROM RADIO STACK. QUICKLY SHUT DOWN ELECTRICAL SYS (HAD HAND HELD RADIO AND GPS). BEFORE THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED, RADIOS AND ALL NAV, BUT LORAN ALSO SMOKING AND NOT WORKING. I NOTIFIED ATC USING MY HAND HELD (SQUAWK 7700) JUST IN CASE WORKING. THEN EXECUTED 180 DEG TURN HEADING BACK TO ARPT. LORAN HAD A BLOWN CIRCUIT BREAKER, NOT FULLY FUNCTIONAL, BUT HAD HEADING AND DISTANCE. CONTINUED TO CALL ATC. COULD HEAR THEM. THEY COULDN'T HEAR ME. SOUNDED LIKE THEY WERE CLRING ME AN ALLEY! I HAD INTERIOR INST LIGHTS, BUT ALL OTHERS GONE. XB40 INDENTED THE LIGHTS AT SPINET (SUS) AND DID A STANDARD APCH (XWIND) ONLY ABBREVIATED. MECHANICALS WORKING OK, ENG PERFORMING FINE. UNABLE TO ANNOUNCE POS. NO PROB WITH LNDG, JUST MADE IT QUICK, WORRIED ABOUT FLAMES. CONTACTED TWR TO NOTIFY ATC AT STL. SHE HAD ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED THIS. SECURED ACFT AND CALLED NTSB. THE CHAIN BEGAN WITH THE FAILED BATTERY, PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STAYED FOR THE NIGHT. FAMILY COMMITMENTS PLANNED AND I FIGURED JUMP WOULD TAKE CARE OF THINGS (BATTERY 5 YRS OLD) -- EXPECTED. AMMETER SHOULD HAVE GIVEN PAUSE, BUT KNOW THAT RECHARGING CAUSED THE SYS ABNORMALITIES. WITH DOUBLE SYS CHKS THOUGHT I COULD IDENT PROB. NEXT TIME, A&P WILL HAVE TO CHK PRIOR TO MY DEP, JUST TO MAKE SURE!! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS PLT WAS FLYING A PA28-180 AND AS HE DISCOVERED LATER THE BATTERY HAD COMPLETED FAILED. AFTER HE JUMP STARTED THE ACFT HE NOTED THAT THE AMMETER SHOWED A HIGH CHARGE RATE AND HE INITIALLY THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE DEPLETED BATTERY. AS HE HAS SINCE FOUND OUT, THIS IS A DANGEROUS SIT ON THIS AND SIMILAR ELECTRICAL SYS. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE MECHANICS THAT REPLACED THE BATTERY AND SOME OF THE OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SAID THAT HIS SYS DOES NOT HAVE CURRENT LIMITERS AND SINCE THE BATTERY WAS NOT FUNCTIONING IT ALLOWED THE ALTERNATOR'S HIGH CURRENT OUTPUT TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE RADIOS AND OTHER ELECTRICAL SYS CAUSING THEM TO FAIL OR THEIR CIRCUIT BREAKERS TO OPEN. IN FACT, THE RPTR SAID THAT AS THE SMOKE CONTINUED TO POUR FROM THE RADIO STACK HE DID LOCATE AND PULL THE MAIN 60 AMP ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT BREAKER AND HE SAID THAT THE MECHS TOLD HIM THAT THE BREAKER SHOULD HAVE OPENED AUTOMATICALLY, BUT PULLING IT WAS PROBABLY WHAT SAVED HIM BY STOPPED THE FIRE AND SMOKE. THE RPTR SAID THAT HE WILL NOW REPLACE THE BATTERY IF IT GOES DEAD IN THE FUTURE. HE ALSO RECOMMENDS THAT THE MANUFACTURER ADDRESS THIS PROB IN ITS ACFT MANUALS AND CHKLISTS. THE RPTR SAID THAT AN INSERT OF SOME SORT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT.

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.