AAIB investigation to Cirrus SR20, G-GCDA
Switch panel electrical fire, Turweston Aerodrome, Northamptonshire, 19 October 2018.
Summary:
The aircraft owner was collecting his aircraft after its annual inspection. The pre-flight checks and takeoff roll were normal. However, just as the aircraft lifted off, the pilot became aware of smoke in the cockpit. He landed immediately and despite shutting down all the electrical equipment, the smoke persisted. With the assistance of an engineer, the source of the smoke and a small fire was identified and extinguished. It was caused by a ‘circuit track’ in a switch panel, which had been electrically overloaded because of an unidentified problem with a diode in the standby battery wiring harness. The aircraft manufacturer has taken several safety actions to ensure the significance of the diode is understood and have included an additional circuit protection device. The aircraft manuals and circuit diagrams have also been amended to clarify the circuit maintenance information.
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