Narrative:

In daylight cavu; received clearance from ZZZ tower to take-off on runway 4; departing northeast. Shortly after lifting off from runway; became aware of strong smell of burnt wiring; but no smoke and no fire. Engine generating full power; normal rate of climb. Notified ZZZ tower of smell of burnt wiring; but no smoke and no fire; and intention to roll into left crosswind and return for landing as soon as practical. Notified ZZZ tower that traffic that had departed runway 4 ahead of me and was apparently entering closed traffic pattern was in sight and would not be a conflict. ZZZ tower notified said traffic of need to sequence behind me. Flew downwind; base; final; landed; turned off; returned to ramp and shut down. To the best of my knowledge; no aircraft was required to deviate to accommodate my flight. No emergency was declared. Owner of aircraft was called to the field; and problem was diagnosed to be stuck starter relay that resulted in starter wiring burning out. May be cessna design defect.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the takeoff was normal until about 200 ft when the smell of burnt wiring was noted. Advised tower of immediate return to field. Landing was uneventful. The reporter; when on the ground; advised the owner of the aircraft of the incident and was present when maintenance discovered the starter relay stuck in the closed or start position. The starter relay; starter wiring and starter were replaced due to overheating. Neither the aircraft owner nor the reporter were aware of any circuit breaker or current limiter in the starter circuit. The reporter stated the owner of the aircraft contacted the local flight standards division office and believes this is a cessna design fault.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182Q ON TKOF CLB AT 200 FT ADVISED TWR OF RETURN TO DEP ARPT DUE TO STRONG SMELL OF BURNING WIRING. FOUND STARTER RELAY STUCK CLOSED.

Narrative: IN DAYLIGHT CAVU; RECEIVED CLEARANCE FROM ZZZ TOWER TO TAKE-OFF ON RUNWAY 4; DEPARTING NORTHEAST. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTING OFF FROM RUNWAY; BECAME AWARE OF STRONG SMELL OF BURNT WIRING; BUT NO SMOKE AND NO FIRE. ENGINE GENERATING FULL POWER; NORMAL RATE OF CLIMB. NOTIFIED ZZZ TOWER OF SMELL OF BURNT WIRING; BUT NO SMOKE AND NO FIRE; AND INTENTION TO ROLL INTO LEFT CROSSWIND AND RETURN FOR LANDING AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. NOTIFIED ZZZ TOWER THAT TRAFFIC THAT HAD DEPARTED RUNWAY 4 AHEAD OF ME AND WAS APPARENTLY ENTERING CLOSED TRAFFIC PATTERN WAS IN SIGHT AND WOULD NOT BE A CONFLICT. ZZZ TOWER NOTIFIED SAID TRAFFIC OF NEED TO SEQUENCE BEHIND ME. FLEW DOWNWIND; BASE; FINAL; LANDED; TURNED OFF; RETURNED TO RAMP AND SHUT DOWN. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE; NO AIRCRAFT WAS REQUIRED TO DEVIATE TO ACCOMMODATE MY FLIGHT. NO EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED. OWNER OF AIRCRAFT WAS CALLED TO THE FIELD; AND PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED TO BE STUCK STARTER RELAY THAT RESULTED IN STARTER WIRING BURNING OUT. MAY BE CESSNA DESIGN DEFECT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE TKOF WAS NORMAL UNTIL ABOUT 200 FT WHEN THE SMELL OF BURNT WIRING WAS NOTED. ADVISED TOWER OF IMMEDIATE RETURN TO FIELD. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE RPTR; WHEN ON THE GND; ADVISED THE OWNER OF THE ACFT OF THE INCIDENT AND WAS PRESENT WHEN MAINT DISCOVERED THE STARTER RELAY STUCK IN THE CLOSED OR START POSITION. THE STARTER RELAY; STARTER WIRING AND STARTER WERE REPLACED DUE TO OVERHEATING. NEITHER THE ACFT OWNER NOR THE RPTR WERE AWARE OF ANY CB OR CURRENT LIMITER IN THE STARTER CIRCUIT. THE RPTR STATED THE OWNER OF THE ACFT CONTACTED THE LCL FLT STANDARDS DIVISION OFFICE AND BELIEVES THIS IS A CESSNA DESIGN FAULT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.