Flight diverts due to low minimums. Has heavy smoke in cockpit. Makes emergency landing.

Attributes
ACN	168031
Time
Date	199101
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : obk
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	168031
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	167845
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

En route to sbn from ord visibility dropped at sbn to below landing minimums. Contacted our dispatch and diverted to ord. 30 mi from obk, experienced heavy smoke coming from glareshield. Proceeded to do VMC electrical smoke shut down and ventilate cockpit. Started to bring electrical equipment on line and do IMC electrical smoke checklist. We then declared an emergency with ord approach. Isolated left electrical to be where smoke was coming from. Gyro's very slow to come on line and requested non gyro approach. Landed with no smoke visible, determined evacuation was not necessary for passenger safety. Unknown at this time where problem came from.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT DIVERTS DUE TO LOW MINIMUMS. HAS HVY SMOKE IN COCKPIT. MAKES EMERGENCY LNDG.

Narrative: ENRTE TO SBN FROM ORD VISIBILITY DROPPED AT SBN TO BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH AND DIVERTED TO ORD. 30 MI FROM OBK, EXPERIENCED HVY SMOKE COMING FROM GLARESHIELD. PROCEEDED TO DO VMC ELECTRICAL SMOKE SHUT DOWN AND VENTILATE COCKPIT. STARTED TO BRING ELECTRICAL EQUIP ON LINE AND DO IMC ELECTRICAL SMOKE CHKLIST. WE THEN DECLARED AN EMER WITH ORD APCH. ISOLATED LEFT ELECTRICAL TO BE WHERE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM. GYRO'S VERY SLOW TO COME ON LINE AND REQUESTED NON GYRO APCH. LANDED WITH NO SMOKE VISIBLE, DETERMINED EVACUATION WAS NOT NECESSARY FOR PAX SAFETY. UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME WHERE PROB CAME FROM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.