Narrative:

I completed my preflight and started the engines at XA40. I copied ATIS information and confirmed taxi instructions to the active runway 26, intersection G, and I requested flight following. I completed pretkof procedures, switched to the fxe tower frequency and acknowledged the takeoff clearance. I found out that my #1 radio was not receiving properly and then switched to my #2 radio and advised fxe tower I had rectified the minor problem. I took off in a northwest direction at approximately XA54 and was told to contact mia departure. Mia departure told me to maintain 1500 ft until further advised. Mia departure told me to contact pbi approach. I acknowledged and changed to the appropriate frequency and also acknowledged my flight following clearance. Pbi approach inquired of my switching over and I made several attempts to acknowledge, but I discovered I was not transmitting. I maintained my last assigned vector while trying to resolve the problem. While trying to resolve the apparent radio problem I smelled fumes and then I saw smoke in the cabin. Immediately, I turned the avionics switch off, thinking that this was a result of the radios. I also turned the main master switch off. I made a 180 degree turn to fxe and started to turn the main master on after also checking the circuit breakers. I squawked 7600 since I had no communications and turned off all of the other electrical equipment. The alternator and #1 voltage regulator both seemed alright. Being aware of the temporary flight restrs at fxe, I approached low directly to the tower with my landing gear down. I flew past the tower with smoke still in the cabin, then seeing partially that runway 8 was clear, I landed so as to get on the ground with no communications, possible electrical fire and fumes coming from behind the instrument panel. I landed safely and did a complete shutdown of the aircraft. When I vacated the aircraft, there were no further fumes. I was advised by ground personnel to stay with the aircraft if there was no further danger. I had the aircraft towed off the taxiway B. Upon reaching the hangar, I was interviewed by FSDO aviation safety inspector.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH BARON 58 PLT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURN LAND AFTER SMOKE WAS SEEN COMING FROM THE INST PANEL AFTER EXPERIENCING NO REPLY TO HIS ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT APCH CTL. HE THEN SQUAWKED 7600 AND TURNED OFF ALL ELECTRICAL, INCLUDING BOTH THE AVIONICS AND MASTER SWITCH.

Narrative: I COMPLETED MY PREFLT AND STARTED THE ENGS AT XA40. I COPIED ATIS INFO AND CONFIRMED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THE ACTIVE RWY 26, INTXN G, AND I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING. I COMPLETED PRETKOF PROCS, SWITCHED TO THE FXE TWR FREQ AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE TKOF CLRNC. I FOUND OUT THAT MY #1 RADIO WAS NOT RECEIVING PROPERLY AND THEN SWITCHED TO MY #2 RADIO AND ADVISED FXE TWR I HAD RECTIFIED THE MINOR PROB. I TOOK OFF IN A NW DIRECTION AT APPROX XA54 AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT MIA DEP. MIA DEP TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 1500 FT UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. MIA DEP TOLD ME TO CONTACT PBI APCH. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND CHANGED TO THE APPROPRIATE FREQ AND ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED MY FLT FOLLOWING CLRNC. PBI APCH INQUIRED OF MY SWITCHING OVER AND I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO ACKNOWLEDGE, BUT I DISCOVERED I WAS NOT XMITTING. I MAINTAINED MY LAST ASSIGNED VECTOR WHILE TRYING TO RESOLVE THE PROB. WHILE TRYING TO RESOLVE THE APPARENT RADIO PROB I SMELLED FUMES AND THEN I SAW SMOKE IN THE CABIN. IMMEDIATELY, I TURNED THE AVIONICS SWITCH OFF, THINKING THAT THIS WAS A RESULT OF THE RADIOS. I ALSO TURNED THE MAIN MASTER SWITCH OFF. I MADE A 180 DEG TURN TO FXE AND STARTED TO TURN THE MAIN MASTER ON AFTER ALSO CHKING THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. I SQUAWKED 7600 SINCE I HAD NO COMS AND TURNED OFF ALL OF THE OTHER ELECTRICAL EQUIP. THE ALTERNATOR AND #1 VOLTAGE REGULATOR BOTH SEEMED ALRIGHT. BEING AWARE OF THE TEMPORARY FLT RESTRS AT FXE, I APCHED LOW DIRECTLY TO THE TWR WITH MY LNDG GEAR DOWN. I FLEW PAST THE TWR WITH SMOKE STILL IN THE CABIN, THEN SEEING PARTIALLY THAT RWY 8 WAS CLR, I LANDED SO AS TO GET ON THE GND WITH NO COMS, POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FIRE AND FUMES COMING FROM BEHIND THE INST PANEL. I LANDED SAFELY AND DID A COMPLETE SHUTDOWN OF THE ACFT. WHEN I VACATED THE ACFT, THERE WERE NO FURTHER FUMES. I WAS ADVISED BY GND PERSONNEL TO STAY WITH THE ACFT IF THERE WAS NO FURTHER DANGER. I HAD THE ACFT TOWED OFF THE TXWY B. UPON REACHING THE HANGAR, I WAS INTERVIEWED BY FSDO AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR.

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.