What happened
On April 15, 2016, a Cessna 172 was conducting an en route flight from EPBC to EPWR. After approximately fifteen minutes of flight, the Warsaw FIS controller observed the aircraft performing a turn back toward the departure airfield. Upon establishing radio contact, the pilot reported that the aircraft had experienced electrical system malfunctions. Although the pilot did not declare an emergency, the decision was made to abort the flight and return to the origin airport. The landing was completed without incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the nature of the electrical failure and the subsequent recovery actions. According to the pilot, once the electrical issues were identified, the crew performed procedures in accordance with the aircraft's Airplane Flight Manual (AFM). These actions successfully restored the functionality of the electrical system. Following the landing, maintenance personnel inspected the electrical system, specifically checking for wire chafing, connection integrity, and the condition of the fuses. During subsequent engine runs and continued operations, the electrical malfunctions did not recur.