Narrative:

An IFR flight plan had been filed and all preflight checks appeared normal. After takeoff the initial climb out was normal and I was xferred to new york departure. Communication was established and vectors, along with clearance to continue the climb were received. Shortly after passing through 2000 ft all the avionics failed momentarily and a smell of burning was detected in the cockpit. I immediately started to turn off non essential equipment. The avionics came back almost immediately and appeared normal. However, I elected to inform departure that I had an electrical problem and wanted to return to the airport, particularly given that the flight to montauk requires an over-water leg. New york departure/approach gave me a new heading to steer and cleared me down to 1500 ft and then for a visual approach to white plains. The approach, hand-over to white plains tower and landing were quite normal, although the tower did ask if I wanted the fire services to be called out. I declined since the problem seemed to have been resolved/arrested, there was no sign of fire or further damage and the avionics that I needed for the approach were back on line (I was using communication #2). In light of the electrical problem I elected to come in slightly high. This meant that the last part of the landing was performed with the engine at idle. After landing, the tower asked me to take the first left turn (taxiway F). I could make the turnoff and clear the runway without adding further power and stopped clear of the runway to clean up the aircraft and establish contact with ground control. As soon as I selected the ground frequency, the ground controller advised that if I was on frequency the fire crew had seen a flame or flames underneath the aircraft and to shut down immediately. Without acknowledging the broadcast I did exactly that, turning off the mixture, master, magnetos, avionics and fuel before exiting the aircraft. After observing the aircraft and discussing with the fire chief for several mins, we approached the aircraft together and could see no signs of any fire. We discussed that it may have been a simple backfire, but decided that it was better to tow the aircraft back to its tie-down rather than restart the engine. I believe that the high ambient temperature precipitated the burnout of communication #1 (since confirmed), momentarily interrupting power to the other avionics. Quite separately, although possibly precipitated by a cautious high approach, an over-rich mixture setting (also since confirmed) caused a flame or flames to appear from the exhaust while rolling to a stop after landing. The fire crew were not familiar with this kind of problem and, therefore, alarmed at the sight of a flame or flames recommended to ground control that the aircraft engine be immediately shut down. The aircraft has now been placed in the maintenance shop to investigate: 1) the cause of the burning smell and tripping of power to the avionics (initial findings are burn-out of communication #1). 2) the cause of the flame or flames while rolling to a stop after landing (initial findings are over-rich mixture setting). The aircraft will not be flown until these inspections are complete and it is confirmed svcable and safe for flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AC14 PLT HAD ELECTRICAL COM FAILURE.

Narrative: AN IFR FLT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED AND ALL PREFLT CHKS APPEARED NORMAL. AFTER TKOF THE INITIAL CLBOUT WAS NORMAL AND I WAS XFERRED TO NEW YORK DEP. COM WAS ESTABLISHED AND VECTORS, ALONG WITH CLRNC TO CONTINUE THE CLB WERE RECEIVED. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING THROUGH 2000 FT ALL THE AVIONICS FAILED MOMENTARILY AND A SMELL OF BURNING WAS DETECTED IN THE COCKPIT. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO TURN OFF NON ESSENTIAL EQUIP. THE AVIONICS CAME BACK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND APPEARED NORMAL. HOWEVER, I ELECTED TO INFORM DEP THAT I HAD AN ELECTRICAL PROB AND WANTED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THAT THE FLT TO MONTAUK REQUIRES AN OVER-WATER LEG. NEW YORK DEP/APCH GAVE ME A NEW HDG TO STEER AND CLRED ME DOWN TO 1500 FT AND THEN FOR A VISUAL APCH TO WHITE PLAINS. THE APCH, HAND-OVER TO WHITE PLAINS TWR AND LNDG WERE QUITE NORMAL, ALTHOUGH THE TWR DID ASK IF I WANTED THE FIRE SVCS TO BE CALLED OUT. I DECLINED SINCE THE PROB SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN RESOLVED/ARRESTED, THERE WAS NO SIGN OF FIRE OR FURTHER DAMAGE AND THE AVIONICS THAT I NEEDED FOR THE APCH WERE BACK ON LINE (I WAS USING COM #2). IN LIGHT OF THE ELECTRICAL PROB I ELECTED TO COME IN SLIGHTLY HIGH. THIS MEANT THAT THE LAST PART OF THE LNDG WAS PERFORMED WITH THE ENG AT IDLE. AFTER LNDG, THE TWR ASKED ME TO TAKE THE FIRST L TURN (TXWY F). I COULD MAKE THE TURNOFF AND CLR THE RWY WITHOUT ADDING FURTHER PWR AND STOPPED CLR OF THE RWY TO CLEAN UP THE ACFT AND ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH GND CTL. AS SOON AS I SELECTED THE GND FREQ, THE GND CTLR ADVISED THAT IF I WAS ON FREQ THE FIRE CREW HAD SEEN A FLAME OR FLAMES UNDERNEATH THE ACFT AND TO SHUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE BROADCAST I DID EXACTLY THAT, TURNING OFF THE MIXTURE, MASTER, MAGNETOS, AVIONICS AND FUEL BEFORE EXITING THE ACFT. AFTER OBSERVING THE ACFT AND DISCUSSING WITH THE FIRE CHIEF FOR SEVERAL MINS, WE APCHED THE ACFT TOGETHER AND COULD SEE NO SIGNS OF ANY FIRE. WE DISCUSSED THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN A SIMPLE BACKFIRE, BUT DECIDED THAT IT WAS BETTER TO TOW THE ACFT BACK TO ITS TIE-DOWN RATHER THAN RESTART THE ENG. I BELIEVE THAT THE HIGH AMBIENT TEMP PRECIPITATED THE BURNOUT OF COM #1 (SINCE CONFIRMED), MOMENTARILY INTERRUPTING PWR TO THE OTHER AVIONICS. QUITE SEPARATELY, ALTHOUGH POSSIBLY PRECIPITATED BY A CAUTIOUS HIGH APCH, AN OVER-RICH MIXTURE SETTING (ALSO SINCE CONFIRMED) CAUSED A FLAME OR FLAMES TO APPEAR FROM THE EXHAUST WHILE ROLLING TO A STOP AFTER LNDG. THE FIRE CREW WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS KIND OF PROB AND, THEREFORE, ALARMED AT THE SIGHT OF A FLAME OR FLAMES RECOMMENDED TO GND CTL THAT THE ACFT ENG BE IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN. THE ACFT HAS NOW BEEN PLACED IN THE MAINT SHOP TO INVESTIGATE: 1) THE CAUSE OF THE BURNING SMELL AND TRIPPING OF PWR TO THE AVIONICS (INITIAL FINDINGS ARE BURN-OUT OF COM #1). 2) THE CAUSE OF THE FLAME OR FLAMES WHILE ROLLING TO A STOP AFTER LNDG (INITIAL FINDINGS ARE OVER-RICH MIXTURE SETTING). THE ACFT WILL NOT BE FLOWN UNTIL THESE INSPECTIONS ARE COMPLETE AND IT IS CONFIRMED SVCABLE AND SAFE FOR FLT.

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.