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Grumman american tiger pilot noticed smoke coming from circuit breaker board during initial climb out after takeoff causing him to notify unicom that he was returning to land. Smoke dissipated during approach and landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 512838 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200105 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cheetah, Tiger, Traveler |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial descent : approach landing : roll |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ac circuit breaker other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
After a routine takeoff on runway, I was climbing through 1000 ft MSL on a crosswind leg departure, when a 1-2 second eruption of smoke emerged from near the circuit breaker panel, on the lower right portion of the instrument panel. The 'altitude' circuit breaker tripped, with subsequent cessation of smoke flow. I promptly notified the unicom operator of my situation, configured for approach, and made a routine landing on runway. On the ground, a local a&P inspected on a courtesy basis, for free, underneath the panel, with no signs of burnt wires, scorching or fire. The 'altitude' circuit breaker failed to reset after power down. Possible related factors: master switch left on inadvertently the 'on' position for 30-45 mins prior to flight, during meal between legs. Aircraft started easily, and ammeter did not indicate excessively high charge, and pretkof runup was uneventful. Later on, the owner's mechanic had not fully diagnosed the problem, located the ground fault (if any) or replaced the affected circuit breaker. I called the FAA on the incident day, as the after hours NTSB reporting point, on an anonymous basis, determined that this event did not constitute an 'in-flight fire' and not subject to 'immediate reporting' under NTSB part 830.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GRUMMAN AMERICAN TIGER PLT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM CIRCUIT BREAKER BOARD DURING INITIAL CLBOUT AFTER TKOF CAUSING HIM TO NOTIFY UNICOM THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO LAND. SMOKE DISSIPATED DURING APCH AND LNDG.
Narrative: AFTER A ROUTINE TKOF ON RWY, I WAS CLBING THROUGH 1000 FT MSL ON A XWIND LEG DEP, WHEN A 1-2 SECOND ERUPTION OF SMOKE EMERGED FROM NEAR THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, ON THE LOWER R PORTION OF THE INST PANEL. THE 'ALT' CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED, WITH SUBSEQUENT CESSATION OF SMOKE FLOW. I PROMPTLY NOTIFIED THE UNICOM OPERATOR OF MY SIT, CONFIGURED FOR APCH, AND MADE A ROUTINE LNDG ON RWY. ON THE GND, A LCL A&P INSPECTED ON A COURTESY BASIS, FOR FREE, UNDERNEATH THE PANEL, WITH NO SIGNS OF BURNT WIRES, SCORCHING OR FIRE. THE 'ALT' CIRCUIT BREAKER FAILED TO RESET AFTER PWR DOWN. POSSIBLE RELATED FACTORS: MASTER SWITCH LEFT ON INADVERTENTLY THE 'ON' POS FOR 30-45 MINS PRIOR TO FLT, DURING MEAL BTWN LEGS. ACFT STARTED EASILY, AND AMMETER DID NOT INDICATE EXCESSIVELY HIGH CHARGE, AND PRETKOF RUNUP WAS UNEVENTFUL. LATER ON, THE OWNER'S MECH HAD NOT FULLY DIAGNOSED THE PROB, LOCATED THE GND FAULT (IF ANY) OR REPLACED THE AFFECTED CIRCUIT BREAKER. I CALLED THE FAA ON THE INCIDENT DAY, AS THE AFTER HRS NTSB RPTING POINT, ON AN ANONYMOUS BASIS, DETERMINED THAT THIS EVENT DID NOT CONSTITUTE AN 'INFLT FIRE' AND NOT SUBJECT TO 'IMMEDIATE RPTING' UNDER NTSB PART 830.
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.