Primary finding
Probable cause
An electrical fire for reasons that could not be determined.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that after takeoff, he turned onto the downwind leg of the traffic pattern and smelled an electrical odor. He continued to land, stopped the airplane, and shut off the engine and electrical systems. As he tried to determine where the smell originated, he saw smoke from the rear seat area and then he saw flames from the left side of the airplane. He exited the airplane and it continued to burn. The airplane sustained fire damage to the fuselage and both wings. In a telephone conversation with the pilot, he noted that the only electrical components he was aware of in the area where he first saw the smoke was near the electronic connector for his active noise-cancelling headset. Due to the amount of fire damage, it was not possible to determine the source of the electrical fire.