PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Other Rotocraft
Air Traffic Control Military 15; Flight Crew Last 90 Days 15; Flight Crew Total 464
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Aircraft
After taking off from ZZZ; the pilot in command was flying the plane. I was acting safety pilot for the flight. We were climbing to 5;500 ft. and heading northwest to clear ZZZ1 airspace. We had just contacted ZZZ1 Approach and requested flight following when the pilot in command noticed smoke coming out from underneath the bottom of the instrument panel on the pilot side of the aircraft. We contacted Wichita Approach and requested priority handling due to smoke in the cabin and requested to land back at ZZZ.Wichita Approach contacted us and asked if we wanted the fire department on standby at ZZZ. We told them yes and then told them we were going to switch to ZZZ CTAF and inform traffic we were going to be making a landing. We changed frequency and entered 7700 into the transponder. We then turned off the master control switch to the aircraft hopping it would stop the electrical fire. We landed at ZZZ; opened the door to the aircraft; and pulled the aircraft off the runway parking it on the taxiway.
After taking off from ZZZ I climbed to 3;500 ft. MSL; heading northwest to clear the ZZZ1 Class C airspace with a VFR flight plan to ZZZ2. The incident happened 5 NM northwest of ZZZ airport. I noticed a little bit of smoke coming from under the yoke nearby the circuit breakers. I checked to see if we had any circuit breakers popped out and none of them were popped out. I then began a right turn towards ZZZ and got in contact with ZZZ1 Approach to [request priority handling] and I said that we are turning back to ZZZ. They asked if we needed a fire truck present; I said yes and squawked 7700 on the transponder. The smoke was no longer present at that time.We then got lined up for Runway XX and got in contact with the CTAF for ZZZ to let other traffic in the area know that we were an aircraft in distress that was on a 5-mile final for Runway XX. After making the contact; I did the checklist for an electrical fire and turned off the master switch and landed on Runway XX. We shut off the aircraft and evacuated the aircraft on the runway. Me and my safety pilot made sure that there was no fire and pushed the aircraft off the next taxiway. ZZZ Fire Department arrived to the scene 10 minutes after.
PA-28 flight crew reported that shortly after takeoff; smoke began to appear from under the instrument panel; and proceeded to perform an air turnback.