Pilot of GA small aircraft takeoff abort when smoke filled the cockpit just after liftoff.

Attributes
ACN	158987
Time
Date	199010
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 75
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 390 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	158987
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : rejected takeoff
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

A small electrical fire occurred immediately after takeoff during a demonstration flight in an small aircraft. We landed straight ahead on the departure runway and managed to get the aircraft stopped on the runway, and immediately evacked the aircraft after shutting down the engine. An emergency was declared and the equipment was requested just prior to T/D. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft other than minor electrical combustion. We had just rotated and were approximately 50-100' AGL when dense smoke began to enter the cabin from gaps between the avionics stack and the panel. The smell was clearly that of an electrical fire. The (CFI) PIC elected to immediately reduce power, extend full flaps and land straight ahead. We were able to get the aircraft stopped 20' from the departure end of the runway by the use of very heavy braking. The engine was shut off and the 2 passenger were immediately evacked upon instruction from the PIC. The PIC remained in the aircraft for a short time to retrieve the fire extinguisher and locate the fire. The smoke had already stopped appearing, possibly because electrical power had been removed when the master was switched off.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF GA SMA TKOF ABORT WHEN SMOKE FILLED THE COCKPIT JUST AFTER LIFTOFF.

Narrative: A SMALL ELECTRICAL FIRE OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF DURING A DEMO FLT IN AN SMA. WE LANDED STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE DEP RWY AND MANAGED TO GET THE ACFT STOPPED ON THE RWY, AND IMMEDIATELY EVACKED THE ACFT AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE EQUIP WAS REQUESTED JUST PRIOR TO T/D. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OTHER THAN MINOR ELECTRICAL COMBUSTION. WE HAD JUST ROTATED AND WERE APPROX 50-100' AGL WHEN DENSE SMOKE BEGAN TO ENTER THE CABIN FROM GAPS BTWN THE AVIONICS STACK AND THE PANEL. THE SMELL WAS CLEARLY THAT OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. THE (CFI) PIC ELECTED TO IMMEDIATELY REDUCE PWR, EXTEND FULL FLAPS AND LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE ACFT STOPPED 20' FROM THE DEP END OF THE RWY BY THE USE OF VERY HVY BRAKING. THE ENG WAS SHUT OFF AND THE 2 PAX WERE IMMEDIATELY EVACKED UPON INSTRUCTION FROM THE PIC. THE PIC REMAINED IN THE ACFT FOR A SHORT TIME TO RETRIEVE THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND LOCATE THE FIRE. THE SMOKE HAD ALREADY STOPPED APPEARING, POSSIBLY BECAUSE ELECTRICAL PWR HAD BEEN REMOVED WHEN THE MASTER WAS SWITCHED OFF.

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.