Incident Overview
During cruise at 9,000 feet MSL, the pilot observed smoke emanating from the circuit breaker panel mounted on the left side wall of the cockpit. Several circuit breakers popped, and the pilot lost the majority of the electrical system. In response, the pilot elected to execute a precautionary landing at a nearby airport.
Damage Assessment
The aircraft received minor damage. Fire and heat damage were limited to the left side electrical panel, primarily on the upper circuit breaker panel.
Investigative Findings
Two suspect areas were identified as possible points of origin for the fire. One was a burned resistor on the trim cowl flap indicators, which had a disconnected wire to a diode. The other was a bus bar link that was installed backwards and had come into contact with a fuselage bulkhead, causing a short. A conclusive determination as to which caused the incident fire could not be made.