A SABRE 65 ON CLBOUT AT 6000 FT LOST MOST OF CAPT'S FLT INSTS. CAUSED BY A SHORTED CAPT'S INST ARMING SWITCH.

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ON CLBOUT FROM GLENS FALLS; NY; ON IFR FLT PLAN TO WHITE PLAINS; NY (HPN) WE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF MOST OF THE CAPT'S FLT INSTS. INSTS LOST INCLUDE 1) CAPT'S AIRSPD/MACH SPD; 2) CAPT'S ALTIMETER; 3) CAPT'S VERT SPD INST; 4) #1 VOR/ILS; 5) #1 XPONDER; 6) EMER ATTITUDE GYROSCOPE; 7) EMER COMPASS; 8) CAPT'S HEADPHONE/SPEAKER; 9) TCASII; 10) VARIOUS PANEL LIGHTS. AT THE TIME; THE ACFT WAS IN BASIC VFR CONDITIONS SO ALBANY APCH CTL WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SIT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AN IMMEDIATE LNDG IN ALBANY CONSIDERED. SINCE VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME; WE ADVISED ALBANY APCH CTL OF OUR DESIRE TO ORBIT N OF ALBANY IN VFR CONDITIONS WHILE WE ATTEMPTED TO RESTORE THE SYS. ALBANY APCH APPROVED THIS REQUEST. INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED A POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THE EMER UTILITY BUS CTL SYS. ATTEMPTED A RESET -- BREAKER WOULD NOT RESET. TURNED OFF ALL SYS ON AFFECTED BUS; RESET BREAKER; RESTORED SYS ONE AT A TIME; DETERMINED EMER LIGHT SYS CAUSED BREAKER TO POP. TURNED OFF EMER LIGHTS. SYS RESTORED NORMALLY. DUE TO IFR CONDITIONS AT HPN (300 FT; 7 MI IN FOG) WE ELECTED TO REMAIN VFR AND LAND AT POU WHICH WAS BASIC VFR. CANCELED IFR WITH ALBANY; PROCEEDED VFR ALONG HUDSON RIVER. ENRTE; CONDITIONS BEGAN TO DETERIORATE TO MARGINAL VFR. SINCE ALL SYS WERE NOW RESTORED; WE CONTACTED ALBANY APCH CTL FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO HPN. THIS WAS RECEIVED AND FLT BEGAN A CLB INTO IMC TO 6000 FT AS CLRED. AT 6000 FT THE ENTIRE MALFUNCTION REOCCURRED; WITH ALL PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED SYS GOING INOP. AT THIS POINT; WITH A MALFUNCTIONING ACFT AND POOR WX CONDITIONS AT OUR DEST (HPN) WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO ALBANY WHERE GOOD VFR WX CONDITIONS PREVAILED. RECEIVED CLRNC BACK TO ALBANY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS NOT A GLASS COCKPIT BUT HAD THE STANDARD INSTS. THE RPTR SAID THE INSTS THAT LOST PWR WERE 1) CAPT'S MACH/AIRSPD; 2) CAPT'S ALTIMETER; 3) VERT SPD; 4) #1 VOR/ILS; 5) #1 XPONDER; 6) EMER ATTITUDE GYROSCOPE; 7) EMER COMPASS; 8) CAPT'S HEADSET AND SPEAKER; 9) TCASII; 10) VARIOUS PANEL LIGHTS. THE RPTR STATED THE PROB WAS TRACED TO A SHORTED CAPT'S INST ARMING SWITCH.