Electrical Fire

[WizardPilot]

I was flying the other night, lights on, and I was set up for final to land. I flare and touchdown very softly but right as I hit the ground I smell electrical (the great smell of fried Electrical wires, delish). I go through the checklists on the roll, check breakers, non were popped and the ammeter was good. I pulled off the taxiway and shut everything down and taxied to my Hanger. Here with the engine shut down I turned everything on again and it was all working fine and I could no longer smell electrical. I went on a flight above the airport a few days latter to do inflight systems checks, all was well. I was wondering if this has ever happened to any of you guys. I fly a 1966 Cessna 182 J model. Kinda old, but it has 2,300 hours on it. I don't know if it may have been loose wiring that bumped together when I touched down, or if a wire completely fried.

 

[Art Vandalay]

I think most of us have freaked out before thinking we have had an electrical fire, engine fire, or other kind of emergency. There have been times where I was on climb-out and thought I may have had an engine or electrical fire, to look around at the surrounding area to see farmer's, etc burning trash, tires, and anything else. Many times this is the explanation.


To be safe though, I'd have the plane looked over by your friendly A&P. It may cost you a few bucks, and maybe a few more if there is a problem, but the peace of mind will be well worth it.


Good luck,


Art V.

 

[flyguy75000]

I'd probably also wait until completing landing rollout before looking down and doing checklists. Not a wise idea my man.

 

[MTpilot]

I had the same thing happen once in an archer. The avionics guy pulled the radios, it turns out it was something internal that went, there happened to be two of them so it didn't effect anything, Of course this is just what he said maybe he just wanted me to stop harassing him. I've had the same thing happen in our 172, and the smell just went away, watched it real close and haven't had any trouble since. I guess I din't really answer your question, Oh well, at least I tried.

 

[urflyingme?!]

I asked my instructor one time if he smelled smoke. He said he hadn't showered.

 

[Alafly]

Did you have beans for lunch that day?

Another useless post by cowjuice boy. You'd think Democrats could come up with better. how does this board get along without this prik?

 

[flyboyzz1]

Had this happen to me this weekend. Well to a renter at our flight school. They smelled and saw smoke coming from the floor while taxi'n to the runway. They shut down and waited for a tow back. I test flew the plane the next day with no problem. Might have just been some shat on the exhaust that burned and vented into the cabin. That was the case here.

 

[Lopaka]

Had something similar in a '69 182m.
I smelled what I thought was electrical burning but turned out to be the alternator seizing up. That made the belt slip and cause the smell and eventually the belt to break. However during that time white smoke was pouring out of the panel from the roasting belt. That's when I was pretty sure I had a problem.

 

[avbug]

Wizard,

Your post concerns me.

You describe a potential fire, and then go on to describe not only executing a checklist while rolling out on the runway, but continuing in your aircraft to the hangar before dealing with the problem.

Apparently you thought you had dealt with the problem by executing the checklist on the roll, and then shutting off the electrical. However, you never had any clear idea of the source of the scent or smoke, nor any idea of weather a potential fire was still in progress or not.

Further, without any such clear explaination, you went on to fly the airplane again without any clear idea of what had occured.

What were you thinking?

If you have a mechanical problem, especially a potential emergency situation, you do not continue to fly the airplane or take it flying again, until you have an explaination. Set that in your game plan right now, and remember it. I can recite for you hour after hour cases in which folks didn't do that. I can recite them for you, and they cannot, because they are dead. Think about that.

Fly the airplane. If your problem becomes a problem as you're rolling out, get stopped before you pull out a checklist and deal with it...especially if you're in a single pilot environment. Fly the airplane, then deal with the situation.

Once you're stopped, don't go flying again with a known problem, and no known soloution.

 

[WizardPilot]

Wizard,

Your post concerns me.

You describe a potential fire, and then go on to describe not only executing a checklist while rolling out on the runway, but continuing in your aircraft to the hangar before dealing with the problem.

Apparently you thought you had dealt with the problem by executing the checklist on the roll, and then shutting off the electrical. However, you never had any clear idea of the source of the scent or smoke, nor any idea of weather a potential fire was still in progress or not.

Further, without any such clear explaination, you went on to fly the airplane again without any clear idea of what had occured.

What were you thinking?

If you have a mechanical problem, especially a potential emergency situation, you do not continue to fly the airplane or take it flying again, until you have an explaination. Set that in your game plan right now, and remember it. I can recite for you hour after hour cases in which folks didn't do that. I can recite them for you, and they cannot, because they are dead. Think about that.

Fly the airplane. If your problem becomes a problem as you're rolling out, get stopped before you pull out a checklist and deal with it...especially if you're in a single pilot environment. Fly the airplane, then deal with the situation.

Once you're stopped, don't go flying again with a known problem, and no known soloution.

First of all, landed on the 4th stripe on a 8,500 foot runway. Slowed the airplane and went through the first half of the checklist to determine what the problem may have been, I had full control of the aircraft and made sure I was in a safe situation where I could start to figure out what was going on. It is not an issue taxiing a quartermile to the taxiway at a slow speed. Second, I have the checklist memorized, thus "pulling out the checklist" at the time was not needed until I was clear of the runway and taxied clear of a taxiway to diagnose the situation, in which I double checked my checklists(on the kneeboard) for fire situations. After I determined to shut down electrical, I kept the engine going to keep airflow over the engine if there was an actual fire. After the electrial was shut down, The smell of smoke was no longer lingering, and I found it safe to taxi to my hanger and shut down.

As to the second flight. That may have been unsafe, but speaking to others about the situation, and going in the airplane and seeing that all was well with the systems in the aircraft, we determined that we should take it up to find if anything was wrong in the air. The flight was conducted for about 15 mins above the airport to test systems in flight, in which there was no problem. I thank you AVBug for the insight, I will keep the things you have mentioned in mind, but do realize I do mind my own life, as well as you do. I would not have taken the aircraft out again if I, and others, did not feel that there was a marginal chance of problems, and if there were, I took the precautions to fly above the airport and keep every option open to land as soon as possible if a problem arose. we found nothing wrong in the flight, but the annual is soon, so the option of replacing wiring is being speculated. Thanks for your opinions guys.​

 

[avbug]

Justification is the narcotic of the soul. From your reply, you're hooked.

I would not have taken the aircraft out again if I, and others, did not feel that there was a marginal chance of problems, and if there were, I took the precautions to fly above the airport and keep every option open to land as soon as possible if a problem arose.

Had you the experience to make such an observation, when you didn't have any insight or information that might possibly lead you to the cause of the smell of the smoke? Apparently not. Yet you feel that you're qualified to inspect the aircraft and return it to service, when it should have been grounding pending qualified mechanical inspection.

You justify your actions by suggesting that you "took precautions." These precautions were to fly over the airport. Have you ever had a cockpit or aircraft fire in flight? Do you know what to expect? Why would you risk it when a mechanic should have inspected your aircraft? Don't justify it. Learn from it. Vow not to do something like that again.

As a mechanic, I would never go test fly the airplane to see if the problem repeated itself. Why would you? Careless and reckless operation, 14 CFR 91.13.

First of all, landed on the 4th stripe on a 8,500 foot runway.

And?

Second, I have the checklist memorized, thus "pulling out the checklist" at the time was not needed until...

Sort of defeats the purpose of the checklist, doesn't it. You don't have to answer that.

After I determined to shut down electrical, I kept the engine going to keep airflow over the engine if there was an actual fire.

Perhaps you aren't aware, but adding airflow to a fire increases it's intensity. Something you ought to consider next time you wish to feed a fire with oxygen.

Wizard, you really need to rethink your mental process in this regard, particularly if you intend on remaining intact and operational as a pilot in the future. Decision making such as you've demonstrated, and then defended, here, is not conducive to your longevity. Small things here; learn from them in order to not become big things later.

 

[Iceman21]

Wizard, you really need to rethink your mental process in this regard, particularly if you intend on remaining intact and operational as a pilot in the future. Decision making such as you've demonstrated, and then defended, here, is not conducive to your longevity. Small things here; learn from them in order to not become big things later.

Wizard, seriously take what Avbug has said to heart. He's not bustin' you cajoles to have fun but is concerned about your Aeronatutical Decision Making.

Have the plane looked over, it may not be something serious or it could be the start of a problem that will incapacitate your aircraft shortly after liftoff or any other number of situations.