PA28 makes immediate landing at departure airport when smoke and fumes enter cockpit after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	676676
Time
Date	200510
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 870 flight time type : 0.4
ASRS Report	676676
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was asked to ferry a piper cherokee 140. I got to the airplane; performed a thorough preflight. I read the checklist and it informed me to start the engine on the left magneto only. So that's what I did. The airplane did not want to start and it back-fired. I continued to crank; and I finally got it started on both magnetos. I did a run-up -- everything seemed normal. So I took off and right after takeoff I smelled smoke and immediately following the smell; the cabin filled with smoke. I turned and landed the plane back on the runway. Upon further inspection; the exhaust slip joint going into the muffler had slipped out and caused hot exhaust to burn through some wiring. I think the backfire caused the exhaust pipe to come undone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 MAKES IMMEDIATE LNDG AT DEP ARPT WHEN SMOKE AND FUMES ENTER COCKPIT AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO FERRY A PIPER CHEROKEE 140. I GOT TO THE AIRPLANE; PERFORMED A THOROUGH PREFLT. I READ THE CHKLIST AND IT INFORMED ME TO START THE ENG ON THE L MAGNETO ONLY. SO THAT'S WHAT I DID. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT WANT TO START AND IT BACK-FIRED. I CONTINUED TO CRANK; AND I FINALLY GOT IT STARTED ON BOTH MAGNETOS. I DID A RUN-UP -- EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL. SO I TOOK OFF AND RIGHT AFTER TKOF I SMELLED SMOKE AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SMELL; THE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE. I TURNED AND LANDED THE PLANE BACK ON THE RWY. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION; THE EXHAUST SLIP JOINT GOING INTO THE MUFFLER HAD SLIPPED OUT AND CAUSED HOT EXHAUST TO BURN THROUGH SOME WIRING. I THINK THE BACKFIRE CAUSED THE EXHAUST PIPE TO COME UNDONE.

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.