A PA28 pilot reports sparks and smoke from the throttle; mixture; propeller quadrant. No further eru...

Attributes
ACN	711863
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 3400 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	711863
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : evacuated
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Owner of this plane; a good friend; has been busy with new baby; so I do him a favor and fly it every 7-10 days to keep the camshaft lubricated; etc. Did the preflight. Entered cockpit; started engine. While moving a GPS 'yoke mount' from one yoke to the other; I saw a spark shoot out from the throttle/mixture/propeller quadrant. At the same time; smoke began to appear from under the panel on the copilot side. I pulled mixture to idle; and simultaneously shut off radio master; battery master switch and alternator. Shortly after exiting the aircraft; the smoke stopped (before it became necessary to call for fire apparatus). I went back into the cockpit to be sure there was no fire (or else I would have called airport operations). I looked under the panel and there was no fire; smoke; or heat. I wrote 4 very large 'grounded due to electrical fire' notes and affixed to yokes and throttle quadrant. Advised owner and maintenance to ground until fixed. I waited 30 mins to be sure there was no fire before I left the plane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT RPTS SPARKS AND SMOKE FROM THE THROTTLE; MIXTURE; PROP QUADRANT. NO FURTHER ERUPTION AFTER THE ACFT ELECTRICAL PWR REMOVED.

Narrative: OWNER OF THIS PLANE; A GOOD FRIEND; HAS BEEN BUSY WITH NEW BABY; SO I DO HIM A FAVOR AND FLY IT EVERY 7-10 DAYS TO KEEP THE CAMSHAFT LUBRICATED; ETC. DID THE PREFLT. ENTERED COCKPIT; STARTED ENG. WHILE MOVING A GPS 'YOKE MOUNT' FROM ONE YOKE TO THE OTHER; I SAW A SPARK SHOOT OUT FROM THE THROTTLE/MIXTURE/PROP QUADRANT. AT THE SAME TIME; SMOKE BEGAN TO APPEAR FROM UNDER THE PANEL ON THE COPLT SIDE. I PULLED MIXTURE TO IDLE; AND SIMULTANEOUSLY SHUT OFF RADIO MASTER; BATTERY MASTER SWITCH AND ALTERNATOR. SHORTLY AFTER EXITING THE ACFT; THE SMOKE STOPPED (BEFORE IT BECAME NECESSARY TO CALL FOR FIRE APPARATUS). I WENT BACK INTO THE COCKPIT TO BE SURE THERE WAS NO FIRE (OR ELSE I WOULD HAVE CALLED ARPT OPS). I LOOKED UNDER THE PANEL AND THERE WAS NO FIRE; SMOKE; OR HEAT. I WROTE 4 VERY LARGE 'GNDED DUE TO ELECTRICAL FIRE' NOTES AND AFFIXED TO YOKES AND THROTTLE QUADRANT. ADVISED OWNER AND MAINTENANCE TO GND UNTIL FIXED. I WAITED 30 MINS TO BE SURE THERE WAS NO FIRE BEFORE I LEFT THE PLANE.

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.

A PA28 pilot reports sparks and smoke from the throttle; mixture; propeller quadrant. No further eruption after the aircraft electrical power removed.