PLT EXPERIENCES SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT; AND POPPED INST PANEL LIGHT CIRCUIT BREAKER.

Narrative

DURING CLB PHASE FROM VNY ENRTE TO PSP I TURNED ON PANEL LIGHTS. WITHIN 3 MINS; I SMELLED SMOKE BUT DID NOT SEE ANY. I STARTED A TURN BACK TO VNY AND NOTICED THE SUBPANEL (LIGHTS) CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED. I TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS (PANEL) AS A PRECAUTION (STILL LIGHT FROM SUN); SO NO PROB SEEING PANEL. I ADVISED SOCAL APCH I HAD CORRECTED SMELL. I WAS TO CONTINUE FLT TO PSP AFTER A 360 DEG TURN BACK TO ON COURSE. UPON ARR AT PSP I ASKED FOR PRIORITY LNDG AS A SMALLER ACFT WAS #1 FOR A STRAIGHT IN STATING I HAD EARLIER SMELLED SMOKE. I WANTED TO GET ON GND TO BE SAFE ASAP. I SAID I DIAGNOSED PROB. IT WAS NOT A SAFETY OF FLT ITEM. ALL WAS WELL NOW. THE FLT WAS COMPLETED NORMALLY. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON THE L PARALLEL AND SMALL ACFT WAS CLRED ON R RWY. UPON ROLLOUT (PANEL LIGHTS ON; MAIN ONLY) SUBPANEL REMAINED OUT DUE TO CIRCUIT BREAKER NON-RESET. I TOLD TWR I WAS FINE; I NEED NO ASSISTANCE AS ALL WAS NORMAL. THE POSSIBLE PROB WAS HANDLED BACK NEAR BURBANK. IT WAS NOT SAFETY OF FLT. THE PSP ARPT POLICE TOOK AN EXTENSIVE RPT FOR THEY THOUGHT I HAD CALLED SMOKE IN COCKPIT; WHICH I NEVER DID! ONLY THAT I WANTED PRIORITY LNDG CLRNC DUE TO A WELL HANDLED SMELL OF SMOKE NEAR BURBANK. THE POLICE SEEMED OUT OF LINE IN THEIR APCH TO THIS FLT ISSUE.