# Incident 20121018022689I: Cessna 172M, Gainesville, FL, October 18, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 18, 2012, 09:08 local time
- Place: Gainesville, FL
- Airport: Gainesville Regional
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.6901° N, 82.2718° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at GAINESVILLE RGNL (GNV), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6901&lon=-82.2718&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5492R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5492R-2022-12-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 4,000 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121018022689I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT WAS FLYING N5429R, A CESSNA 172M, ON APPROACH INTO GAINESVILLE, FL. THE PILOT DETECTED THE ODOR OF SMOKE AND NOTICED SOME SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. PILOT SHUT OFF ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. SMOKE THEN CLEARED AND PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RE-POWER THE AIRCRAFTS AVIONICS. THE AVIONICS FAILED TO RE-ENERGIZE SO PILOT CONTINUED ON THE APPROACH WITH NO WORKING RADIO OR TRANSPONDER. PILOT LANDED AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT, CALLED THE TOWER FROM CELL PHONE, AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTION TO TAXI TO THE FBO. PILOT TURNED AIRCRAFT OVER TO MAINTENANCE. MAINTENANCE DISCOVERED THAT THE AVIONICS MASTER SWITCH HAD FAILED AND OVERHEATED, CAUSING SOME OF THE PLASTIC INSULATION FROM A RING TERMINAL TO START MELTING, WHICH RESULTED IN THE SMELL OF SMOKE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE, AND NO OTHER DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT. MAINTENANCE REPLACED THE SWITCH AND RELEASED THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO SERVICE.

## Other reports on N5492R (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19971007045959I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971007045959I), Oct 7, 1997: Cessna 172M (N5492R), Brazil, IN, Minor damage. (-23) [privacy data omitted] stated that he had a partial power loss while flying at 2000 ft. MSL, he notified huf tower of his rough engine and asked for a…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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