Small aircraft Y entered dense smoke in flight, declared emergency.

Attributes
ACN	255257
Time
Date	199310
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : bur
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 490 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	255257
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other

Narrative:

Small aircraft X route of flight took aircraft into dense forest fire smoke plume. Several requests were made to ATC for deviation around or over plume before entry. Requests were denied. Smoke plume was entered, smoke entered cabin. Both pilots experienced significant chest congestion from smoke inhalation. PIC declared emergency and deviated to north where smoke appeared least dense. ATC informed pilot that the aircraft had entered a prohibited area where firefighting operations were being conducted. PIC requested vectors and rest of flight was uneventful. Both pilots experienced some lung irritation for a couple of days afterward.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA Y ENTERED DENSE SMOKE IN FLT, DECLARED EMER.

Narrative: SMA X RTE OF FLT TOOK ACFT INTO DENSE FOREST FIRE SMOKE PLUME. SEVERAL REQUESTS WERE MADE TO ATC FOR DEV AROUND OR OVER PLUME BEFORE ENTRY. REQUESTS WERE DENIED. SMOKE PLUME WAS ENTERED, SMOKE ENTERED CABIN. BOTH PLTS EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT CHEST CONGESTION FROM SMOKE INHALATION. PIC DECLARED EMER AND DEVIATED TO N WHERE SMOKE APPEARED LEAST DENSE. ATC INFORMED PLT THAT THE ACFT HAD ENTERED A PROHIBITED AREA WHERE FIREFIGHTING OPS WERE BEING CONDUCTED. PIC REQUESTED VECTORS AND REST OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. BOTH PLTS EXPERIENCED SOME LUNG IRRITATION FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTERWARD.

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.