Narrative:

After a normal runup, flight checklist completion and a normal takeoff, during climb out both pilots, who occupied the 2 front seats, smelled smoke. At this point, the PIC saw whisps of smoke emanating from the left bottom corner of the instrument panel. We immediately requested clearance back from departure control to atl, noting the presence of smoke in the cockpit. This clearance was immediately granted and the PF made a turn back to the airport while simultaneously putting down both the landing gear and flaps. After receiving instructions to expect to intercept the left downwind leg to runway 27L, the pilot in the right seat notified atl departure that runway 9R, the closest runway, would be required. Clearance to land on runway 9R was received. During this time, the PF was executing the emergency procedures for an onboard electrical fire. While executing the procedures, we noticed the smoke had gotten thicker. At this point, we were advised to contact the tower which we did. We were asked by the tower what runway we would be using. The pilot in the right seat responded 9R, at such time the controller cleared us to land on 9L. Again, the pilot in the right seat told the controller 9R would be required. We were then cleared to land on 9R and the controller turned on the approach lights to the highest intensity. After noticing the smoke had gotten worse and had begun to fill the cabin, as emergency procedures dictate, the pilot in the right seat notified the tower controller that this would be the last transmission possible. This was due to the decision to shut down the electrical system to try and stop the smoke, which we believed to be electrical in origin. After turning off the master switch to the electrical system, a flashlight was used by the right seat pilot to illuminate the panel for the PF who was busy lining up with the runway 9R. The smoke appeared to stop, and we made a normal landing. Since there was no need to block an active runway, we taxied off on a high speed taxiway where we shut down the engine to prevent additional damage to the aircraft. We expeditiously exited the aircraft and waited for the fire equipment, whose lights we had seen on final. We had not declared an emergency and we never requested the fire equipment to be sent out, but the tower controller sent them as a precaution. With the master off, the aircraft was completely dark and the equipment passed us twice. After 5 mins of waiting, the trucks located us and the fireman proceeded flawlessly with their jobs searching for signs of fire. At no time did any of the occupants aboard see a fire--only heavy smoke was observed. The entire event, from the first sign of smoke, lasted 4 mins. To conclude, a faulty cylinder head temperature gauge was the cause of the smoke. The controllers, as well as the emergency equipment personnel performed flawlessly, and were extremely helpful. Their was no additional damage to the aircraft. The faulty temperature gauge was replaced. The occupants of the aircraft received no injuries of any kind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT ATL WHEN SMOKE ENTERS THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: AFTER A NORMAL RUNUP, FLT CHKLIST COMPLETION AND A NORMAL TKOF, DURING CLBOUT BOTH PLTS, WHO OCCUPIED THE 2 FRONT SEATS, SMELLED SMOKE. AT THIS POINT, THE PIC SAW WHISPS OF SMOKE EMANATING FROM THE LEFT BOTTOM CORNER OF THE INST PANEL. WE IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED CLRNC BACK FROM DEP CTL TO ATL, NOTING THE PRESENCE OF SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THIS CLRNC WAS IMMEDIATELY GRANTED AND THE PF MADE A TURN BACK TO THE ARPT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PUTTING DOWN BOTH THE LNDG GEAR AND FLAPS. AFTER RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPECT TO INTERCEPT THE LEFT DOWNWIND LEG TO RWY 27L, THE PLT IN THE RIGHT SEAT NOTIFIED ATL DEP THAT RWY 9R, THE CLOSEST RWY, WOULD BE REQUIRED. CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 9R WAS RECEIVED. DURING THIS TIME, THE PF WAS EXECUTING THE EMER PROCS FOR AN ONBOARD ELECTRICAL FIRE. WHILE EXECUTING THE PROCS, WE NOTICED THE SMOKE HAD GOTTEN THICKER. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE ADVISED TO CONTACT THE TWR WHICH WE DID. WE WERE ASKED BY THE TWR WHAT RWY WE WOULD BE USING. THE PLT IN THE RIGHT SEAT RESPONDED 9R, AT SUCH TIME THE CTLR CLRED US TO LAND ON 9L. AGAIN, THE PLT IN THE RIGHT SEAT TOLD THE CTLR 9R WOULD BE REQUIRED. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO LAND ON 9R AND THE CTLR TURNED ON THE APCH LIGHTS TO THE HIGHEST INTENSITY. AFTER NOTICING THE SMOKE HAD GOTTEN WORSE AND HAD BEGUN TO FILL THE CABIN, AS EMER PROCS DICTATE, THE PLT IN THE RIGHT SEAT NOTIFIED THE TWR CTLR THAT THIS WOULD BE THE LAST XMISSION POSSIBLE. THIS WAS DUE TO THE DECISION TO SHUT DOWN THE ELECTRICAL SYS TO TRY AND STOP THE SMOKE, WHICH WE BELIEVED TO BE ELECTRICAL IN ORIGIN. AFTER TURNING OFF THE MASTER SWITCH TO THE ELECTRICAL SYS, A FLASHLIGHT WAS USED BY THE RIGHT SEAT PLT TO ILLUMINATE THE PANEL FOR THE PF WHO WAS BUSY LINING UP WITH THE RWY 9R. THE SMOKE APPEARED TO STOP, AND WE MADE A NORMAL LNDG. SINCE THERE WAS NO NEED TO BLOCK AN ACTIVE RWY, WE TAXIED OFF ON A HIGH SPD TXWY WHERE WE SHUT DOWN THE ENG TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. WE EXPEDITIOUSLY EXITED THE ACFT AND WAITED FOR THE FIRE EQUIP, WHOSE LIGHTS WE HAD SEEN ON FINAL. WE HAD NOT DECLARED AN EMER AND WE NEVER REQUESTED THE FIRE EQUIP TO BE SENT OUT, BUT THE TWR CTLR SENT THEM AS A PRECAUTION. WITH THE MASTER OFF, THE ACFT WAS COMPLETELY DARK AND THE EQUIP PASSED US TWICE. AFTER 5 MINS OF WAITING, THE TRUCKS LOCATED US AND THE FIREMAN PROCEEDED FLAWLESSLY WITH THEIR JOBS SEARCHING FOR SIGNS OF FIRE. AT NO TIME DID ANY OF THE OCCUPANTS ABOARD SEE A FIRE--ONLY HEAVY SMOKE WAS OBSERVED. THE ENTIRE EVENT, FROM THE FIRST SIGN OF SMOKE, LASTED 4 MINS. TO CONCLUDE, A FAULTY CYLINDER HEAD TEMP GAUGE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. THE CTLRS, AS WELL AS THE EMER EQUIP PERSONNEL PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY, AND WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. THEIR WAS NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE FAULTY TEMP GAUGE WAS REPLACED. THE OCCUPANTS OF THE ACFT RECEIVED NO INJURIES OF ANY KIND.

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.