GA small aircraft lost navigation and strobe lights after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	193259
Time
Date	199110
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cys
State Reference	WY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cys
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 46 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	153259
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At cys airport, a full preflight was conducted, including a separate walkaround check for lights. All navigation, beacon, strobe and landing lights were found to be operating correctly. I called cys tower for takeoff clearance for runway 30, requesting a left turnout to a south departure. Approximately 15 NM south of cys, when all traffic appeared to be clear and no longer a factor, I elected to turn off landing light. At that time, I noticed that the strobes were not flashing. Looking carefully at the navigation lights, convinced me that the navigation lights were also not operating. Cycling the switches had no effect. Turned switches to off position. The ammeter still read about a needle width on the + side. Further analysis determined that the breakers were popped out. Pressing the breakers back in and turning the switches on brought the lights on. The lights functioned normally and the breakers did not pop during the rest of the flight. The anomaly was written up for the FBO on the normal squawk sheet for later consideration.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST NAV AND STROBE LIGHTS AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: AT CYS ARPT, A FULL PREFLT WAS CONDUCTED, INCLUDING A SEPARATE WALKAROUND CHK FOR LIGHTS. ALL NAV, BEACON, STROBE AND LNDG LIGHTS WERE FOUND TO BE OPERATING CORRECTLY. I CALLED CYS TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC FOR RWY 30, REQUESTING A L TURNOUT TO A S DEP. APPROX 15 NM S OF CYS, WHEN ALL TFC APPEARED TO BE CLR AND NO LONGER A FACTOR, I ELECTED TO TURN OFF LNDG LIGHT. AT THAT TIME, I NOTICED THAT THE STROBES WERE NOT FLASHING. LOOKING CAREFULLY AT THE NAV LIGHTS, CONVINCED ME THAT THE NAV LIGHTS WERE ALSO NOT OPERATING. CYCLING THE SWITCHES HAD NO EFFECT. TURNED SWITCHES TO OFF POS. THE AMMETER STILL READ ABOUT A NEEDLE WIDTH ON THE + SIDE. FURTHER ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT THE BREAKERS WERE POPPED OUT. PRESSING THE BREAKERS BACK IN AND TURNING THE SWITCHES ON BROUGHT THE LIGHTS ON. THE LIGHTS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AND THE BREAKERS DID NOT POP DURING THE REST OF THE FLT. THE ANOMALY WAS WRITTEN UP FOR THE FBO ON THE NORMAL SQUAWK SHEET FOR LATER CONSIDERATION.

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.