Narrative:

Planned IFR departure, flight plan filed and verified. Called ZOA when taxiing on the water (this is a float plane). No contact with ZOA but not uncommon. Planned to take off and stay under overcast to call ZOA in the air. Got airborne and initiated call. No response. Observed stuck microphone indication on radio (narco communication 120). Turned off radio after verifying that push-to-talk switch was not the problem. Verified that hand-held microphone push-to-talk switch was not the problem. Switched to second radio and noticed that it had the same problem. Then noticed a discharge on ammeter for system power, saw light flash and smelled smoke. Looked up and found that I had entered overcast heading downwind (approximately 050 degrees). Shut off electrical master switch and initiated climb through overcast due to proximity to hills on east side of the valley. Topped overcast after a couple of mins and continued troubleshooting system. Found that passenger head set microphone plug was not in socket fully. Pushed it in and tried radio. No stuck microphone indication, but discharge continued. Shut down electrical master switch again. Troubleshot alternator/charging circuit upon landing and found that system functioned properly at RPM's to about 2000 rpms, but not at cruise (approximately 2400 RPM). Suspect slipping alternator belt as the problem, and source of smoke odor. Light flash may have been just the transmit light as my eyes swept across the instrument panel. I'm sure ATC wonders what went on, especially since I confirmed the IFR departure through the FSS 30 mins before departure. Inattn to the flight during distrs of radio and electrical problems caused me to enter IFR conditions without a clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR SEEMS TO BE A WKEND SEAPLANE PLT WHO KNEW THE PROPER STEPS TO TAKE, BUT EASILY BECAME OVERWHELMED BY A SIMPLE RADIO PROB AT AN UNCTLED FIELD.

Narrative: PLANNED IFR DEP, FLT PLAN FILED AND VERIFIED. CALLED ZOA WHEN TAXIING ON THE WATER (THIS IS A FLOAT PLANE). NO CONTACT WITH ZOA BUT NOT UNCOMMON. PLANNED TO TAKE OFF AND STAY UNDER OVCST TO CALL ZOA IN THE AIR. GOT AIRBORNE AND INITIATED CALL. NO RESPONSE. OBSERVED STUCK MIKE INDICATION ON RADIO (NARCO COM 120). TURNED OFF RADIO AFTER VERIFYING THAT PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH WAS NOT THE PROB. VERIFIED THAT HAND-HELD MIKE PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH WAS NOT THE PROB. SWITCHED TO SECOND RADIO AND NOTICED THAT IT HAD THE SAME PROB. THEN NOTICED A DISCHARGE ON AMMETER FOR SYS PWR, SAW LIGHT FLASH AND SMELLED SMOKE. LOOKED UP AND FOUND THAT I HAD ENTERED OVCST HDG DOWNWIND (APPROX 050 DEGS). SHUT OFF ELECTRICAL MASTER SWITCH AND INITIATED CLB THROUGH OVCST DUE TO PROX TO HILLS ON E SIDE OF THE VALLEY. TOPPED OVCST AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS AND CONTINUED TROUBLESHOOTING SYS. FOUND THAT PAX HEAD SET MIKE PLUG WAS NOT IN SOCKET FULLY. PUSHED IT IN AND TRIED RADIO. NO STUCK MIKE INDICATION, BUT DISCHARGE CONTINUED. SHUT DOWN ELECTRICAL MASTER SWITCH AGAIN. TROUBLESHOT ALTERNATOR/CHARGING CIRCUIT UPON LNDG AND FOUND THAT SYS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY AT RPM'S TO ABOUT 2000 RPMS, BUT NOT AT CRUISE (APPROX 2400 RPM). SUSPECT SLIPPING ALTERNATOR BELT AS THE PROB, AND SOURCE OF SMOKE ODOR. LIGHT FLASH MAY HAVE BEEN JUST THE XMIT LIGHT AS MY EYES SWEPT ACROSS THE INST PANEL. I'M SURE ATC WONDERS WHAT WENT ON, ESPECIALLY SINCE I CONFIRMED THE IFR DEP THROUGH THE FSS 30 MINS BEFORE DEP. INATTN TO THE FLT DURING DISTRS OF RADIO AND ELECTRICAL PROBS CAUSED ME TO ENTER IFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT A CLRNC.

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.