Narrative:

I completed a preflight check and began to start my aircraft. After several tries, it started and then quit. When I tried again, I had found the battery to be completely drained. I had to ask around the airport for help getting my aircraft started and was given a jump start by a guy in a pickup truck. This process had caused a backfire once the engine started. The engine sounded rough at first, but after letting it idle for several mins it sounded normal. Upon checking the ammeter, it seemed normal as well. I had performed a complete run-up and pre takeoff check and proceeded to contact springfield departure. After being cleared for an IFR takeoff, I added full power and all seemed normal. Once I had been airborne for a short period of time I smelled some type of fumes and saw what seemed to be smoke. I could also tell that the engine was unusually very loud. I then tried to contact departure but my #1 radio failed. I then switched to my #2 radio and found it inoperative as well. I checked the transponder and it was also gone. I then realized I had lost all electrical power. I quickly retrieved my handheld radio from my flight bag and contacted springfield departure to let them know I was going back to jacksonville and had no electrical power and had some smoke in the cockpit. The gauges that monitor the engine seemed to be working fine and the engine was running (although much louder than normal) perfectly well. After contacting jacksonville unicom to let them know I was coming in for a left downwind for runway 31, the landing went completely normal and with full engine power. The smoke I had seen left the cockpit just seconds after I had noticed it. Upon reaching the ramp, I contacted an a&P mechanic. When they inspected inside the cowling, they found the exhaust manifold had come apart and when they checked the battery, it was completely drained. They put the exhaust back together and told me I would need a new battery. After installing the new battery, he found a broken wire that goes from the battery to the alternator and repaired it. I believe all this could have been avoided if I had not tried to jump start the airplane. I have seen so many people do this. I was even told by the FAA inspector that he has done this before. I was in a hurry to get home after spending 2 weeks traveling around the southwestern united states and used poor judgement. The battery was dated 11/1998 and according to some mechanics I have spoken with, should have been replaced after 2 yrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER JUMP STARTING THE ACFT DUE TO A DEAD BATTERY, A GA PLT HAS SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE COCKPIT FOLLOWED BY ELECTRICAL FAILURE.

Narrative: I COMPLETED A PREFLT CHK AND BEGAN TO START MY ACFT. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES, IT STARTED AND THEN QUIT. WHEN I TRIED AGAIN, I HAD FOUND THE BATTERY TO BE COMPLETELY DRAINED. I HAD TO ASK AROUND THE ARPT FOR HELP GETTING MY ACFT STARTED AND WAS GIVEN A JUMP START BY A GUY IN A PICKUP TRUCK. THIS PROCESS HAD CAUSED A BACKFIRE ONCE THE ENG STARTED. THE ENG SOUNDED ROUGH AT FIRST, BUT AFTER LETTING IT IDLE FOR SEVERAL MINS IT SOUNDED NORMAL. UPON CHKING THE AMMETER, IT SEEMED NORMAL AS WELL. I HAD PERFORMED A COMPLETE RUN-UP AND PRE TKOF CHK AND PROCEEDED TO CONTACT SPRINGFIELD DEP. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR AN IFR TKOF, I ADDED FULL PWR AND ALL SEEMED NORMAL. ONCE I HAD BEEN AIRBORNE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME I SMELLED SOME TYPE OF FUMES AND SAW WHAT SEEMED TO BE SMOKE. I COULD ALSO TELL THAT THE ENG WAS UNUSUALLY VERY LOUD. I THEN TRIED TO CONTACT DEP BUT MY #1 RADIO FAILED. I THEN SWITCHED TO MY #2 RADIO AND FOUND IT INOP AS WELL. I CHKED THE XPONDER AND IT WAS ALSO GONE. I THEN REALIZED I HAD LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR. I QUICKLY RETRIEVED MY HANDHELD RADIO FROM MY FLT BAG AND CONTACTED SPRINGFIELD DEP TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS GOING BACK TO JACKSONVILLE AND HAD NO ELECTRICAL PWR AND HAD SOME SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE GAUGES THAT MONITOR THE ENG SEEMED TO BE WORKING FINE AND THE ENG WAS RUNNING (ALTHOUGH MUCH LOUDER THAN NORMAL) PERFECTLY WELL. AFTER CONTACTING JACKSONVILLE UNICOM TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS COMING IN FOR A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31, THE LNDG WENT COMPLETELY NORMAL AND WITH FULL ENG PWR. THE SMOKE I HAD SEEN LEFT THE COCKPIT JUST SECONDS AFTER I HAD NOTICED IT. UPON REACHING THE RAMP, I CONTACTED AN A&P MECH. WHEN THEY INSPECTED INSIDE THE COWLING, THEY FOUND THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD COME APART AND WHEN THEY CHKED THE BATTERY, IT WAS COMPLETELY DRAINED. THEY PUT THE EXHAUST BACK TOGETHER AND TOLD ME I WOULD NEED A NEW BATTERY. AFTER INSTALLING THE NEW BATTERY, HE FOUND A BROKEN WIRE THAT GOES FROM THE BATTERY TO THE ALTERNATOR AND REPAIRED IT. I BELIEVE ALL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD NOT TRIED TO JUMP START THE AIRPLANE. I HAVE SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE DO THIS. I WAS EVEN TOLD BY THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT HE HAS DONE THIS BEFORE. I WAS IN A HURRY TO GET HOME AFTER SPENDING 2 WKS TRAVELING AROUND THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES AND USED POOR JUDGEMENT. THE BATTERY WAS DATED 11/1998 AND ACCORDING TO SOME MECHS I HAVE SPOKEN WITH, SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED AFTER 2 YRS.

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.