A small twin engine aircraft on approach at 1000 ft has an emergency due to smoke in the cabin cause...

Attributes
ACN	446832
Time
Date	199908
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jwn.airport
State Reference	TN
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Other
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	446832
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : nmac other anomaly other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

On approach to tune airport, I listened to another aircraft announce on unicom takeoff from runway 19. Approximately 1 mi from the departure end of runway 19, my cockpit began to smell of smoke or burning/hot electrical short. Since I was so close to the airport, I elected to keep electric power on long enough to drop the gear. As I was lowering the speed of the aircraft to drop the gear, I noticed the aircraft which had taken off of runway 19, and I turned a few degrees to ensure the other pilot was clearly aware of my intentions. He called on the radio and complained that I was below the normal pattern altitude. This was not a near miss, but turns were made by both aircraft to increase the distance at passing. After getting gear down lights, I killed the master, and landed as quickly as I could. My turn from downwind to final was somewhat steep and aggressive, using wing loading to kill altitude and airspeed, in addition to full flaps and slipping. The landing occurred without incident. After taxiing to the tie-down area, I turned on the electronics one by one, to attempt to isolate the problem. The #2 communication came up, but failed within 1 min. The strobes breaker was found to be 'popped.' I contacted an a&P and confirmed flight safety after killing power to the above components. Return trip was uneventful except it was discovered that the aircraft heater and autoplt had failed also. The aircraft had been flown through very heavy rain just before the above events occurred. It is speculated that water intrusion caused the electrical problem. Portions of the nose baggage compartment were found to be wet. Some baggage was wet. The radios are located immediately behind the wet areas. The mechanical issues (and electrical) will be corrected by the a&P and radio technician. Water intrusion will be addressed and corrected as needed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SMALL TWIN ENG ACFT ON APCH AT 1000 FT HAS AN EMER DUE TO SMOKE IN THE CABIN CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL BUS MALFUNCTION. ON EMER LNDG PASSED WITHIN 200 FT VERT AND 1000 FT HORIZ OF DEPARTING ACFT.

Narrative: ON APCH TO TUNE ARPT, I LISTENED TO ANOTHER ACFT ANNOUNCE ON UNICOM TKOF FROM RWY 19. APPROX 1 MI FROM THE DEP END OF RWY 19, MY COCKPIT BEGAN TO SMELL OF SMOKE OR BURNING/HOT ELECTRICAL SHORT. SINCE I WAS SO CLOSE TO THE ARPT, I ELECTED TO KEEP ELECTRIC PWR ON LONG ENOUGH TO DROP THE GEAR. AS I WAS LOWERING THE SPD OF THE ACFT TO DROP THE GEAR, I NOTICED THE ACFT WHICH HAD TAKEN OFF OF RWY 19, AND I TURNED A FEW DEGS TO ENSURE THE OTHER PLT WAS CLRLY AWARE OF MY INTENTIONS. HE CALLED ON THE RADIO AND COMPLAINED THAT I WAS BELOW THE NORMAL PATTERN ALT. THIS WAS NOT A NEAR MISS, BUT TURNS WERE MADE BY BOTH ACFT TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE AT PASSING. AFTER GETTING GEAR DOWN LIGHTS, I KILLED THE MASTER, AND LANDED AS QUICKLY AS I COULD. MY TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO FINAL WAS SOMEWHAT STEEP AND AGGRESSIVE, USING WING LOADING TO KILL ALT AND AIRSPD, IN ADDITION TO FULL FLAPS AND SLIPPING. THE LNDG OCCURRED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER TAXIING TO THE TIE-DOWN AREA, I TURNED ON THE ELECTRONICS ONE BY ONE, TO ATTEMPT TO ISOLATE THE PROB. THE #2 COM CAME UP, BUT FAILED WITHIN 1 MIN. THE STROBES BREAKER WAS FOUND TO BE 'POPPED.' I CONTACTED AN A&P AND CONFIRMED FLT SAFETY AFTER KILLING PWR TO THE ABOVE COMPONENTS. RETURN TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ACFT HEATER AND AUTOPLT HAD FAILED ALSO. THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN THROUGH VERY HVY RAIN JUST BEFORE THE ABOVE EVENTS OCCURRED. IT IS SPECULATED THAT WATER INTRUSION CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL PROB. PORTIONS OF THE NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT WERE FOUND TO BE WET. SOME BAGGAGE WAS WET. THE RADIOS ARE LOCATED IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE WET AREAS. THE MECHANICAL ISSUES (AND ELECTRICAL) WILL BE CORRECTED BY THE A&P AND RADIO TECHNICIAN. WATER INTRUSION WILL BE ADDRESSED AND CORRECTED AS NEEDED.

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.

A small twin engine aircraft on approach at 1000 ft has an emergency due to smoke in the cabin caused by an electrical bus malfunction. On emergency landing passed within 200 ft vertical and 1000 ft horizontal of departing aircraft.