Pilot of a private C310 aircraft returned and landed just after takeoff due smoke in the cockpit.

Attributes
ACN	266104
Time
Date	199403
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cps
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cps
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 310/T310C
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Aerospatiale Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	266104
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	Other Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2600 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was departing cps airport in a C-310L on runway 12R. Just as the airplane rotated I smelled plastic burning (extremely strong). At 200 ft AGL (600 ft MSL) I saw smoke coming from the avionics. I immediately decided to make a landing. All non essential avionics were turned off while I made an immediate 180 degree turn to enter downwind. Another pilot was along for the ride and I told him to call the tower and advise them that we had a problem and were going to make an immediate landing. As I was making the 180 degree turn to downwind an aerospatiale tampico club was about to enter downwind. The other aircraft was in sight by myself and the other pilot with me. We were well below and far ahead of the tampico and were flying much faster, the tampico was not going to be a factor and there was no actual conflict. When we called for an immediate landing the tampico started an immediate climb and turnout of the traffic pattern. The tampico must have had us in sight (and an instructor most likely in the airplane with a student). The tower canceled landing clrncs for all aircraft and cleared us for landing on any runway of our choice. I told the other pilot to advise the tower that we had smoke in the cabin. He instead told them we had a fire in the airplane. Tower immediately called the local fire department. A landing was made without incident and we returned to the ramp. Tower canceled the fire call. Later investigation of the avionics revealed a defective ADF which had to be removed from the aircraft and discarded. There was no actual conflict or incident. Everyone had everyone else in sight and could see what the others were doing. Due to the extremely strong burning smell and actual smoke in the cabin there was no alternative but to land immediately. The longest/widest runway was the one I departed from. A 180 degree turn back to the runway wold not have been practical and may have conflicted with other aircraft I did not have in sight. Best alternative was to cut in front of and below the aircraft in sight, it was the only airplane in the pattern for the runway of intended landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PVT C310 ACFT RETURNED AND LANDED JUST AFTER TKOF DUE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING CPS ARPT IN A C-310L ON RWY 12R. JUST AS THE AIRPLANE ROTATED I SMELLED PLASTIC BURNING (EXTREMELY STRONG). AT 200 FT AGL (600 FT MSL) I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE AVIONICS. I IMMEDIATELY DECIDED TO MAKE A LNDG. ALL NON ESSENTIAL AVIONICS WERE TURNED OFF WHILE I MADE AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG TURN TO ENTER DOWNWIND. ANOTHER PLT WAS ALONG FOR THE RIDE AND I TOLD HIM TO CALL THE TWR AND ADVISE THEM THAT WE HAD A PROB AND WERE GOING TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. AS I WAS MAKING THE 180 DEG TURN TO DOWNWIND AN AEROSPATIALE TAMPICO CLUB WAS ABOUT TO ENTER DOWNWIND. THE OTHER ACFT WAS IN SIGHT BY MYSELF AND THE OTHER PLT WITH ME. WE WERE WELL BELOW AND FAR AHEAD OF THE TAMPICO AND WERE FLYING MUCH FASTER, THE TAMPICO WAS NOT GOING TO BE A FACTOR AND THERE WAS NO ACTUAL CONFLICT. WHEN WE CALLED FOR AN IMMEDIATE LNDG THE TAMPICO STARTED AN IMMEDIATE CLB AND TURNOUT OF THE TFC PATTERN. THE TAMPICO MUST HAVE HAD US IN SIGHT (AND AN INSTRUCTOR MOST LIKELY IN THE AIRPLANE WITH A STUDENT). THE TWR CANCELED LNDG CLRNCS FOR ALL ACFT AND CLRED US FOR LNDG ON ANY RWY OF OUR CHOICE. I TOLD THE OTHER PLT TO ADVISE THE TWR THAT WE HAD SMOKE IN THE CABIN. HE INSTEAD TOLD THEM WE HAD A FIRE IN THE AIRPLANE. TWR IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE LCL FIRE DEPT. A LNDG WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT AND WE RETURNED TO THE RAMP. TWR CANCELED THE FIRE CALL. LATER INVESTIGATION OF THE AVIONICS REVEALED A DEFECTIVE ADF WHICH HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE ACFT AND DISCARDED. THERE WAS NO ACTUAL CONFLICT OR INCIDENT. EVERYONE HAD EVERYONE ELSE IN SIGHT AND COULD SEE WHAT THE OTHERS WERE DOING. DUE TO THE EXTREMELY STRONG BURNING SMELL AND ACTUAL SMOKE IN THE CABIN THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. THE LONGEST/WIDEST RWY WAS THE ONE I DEPARTED FROM. A 180 DEG TURN BACK TO THE RWY WOLD NOT HAVE BEEN PRACTICAL AND MAY HAVE CONFLICTED WITH OTHER ACFT I DID NOT HAVE IN SIGHT. BEST ALTERNATIVE WAS TO CUT IN FRONT OF AND BELOW THE ACFT IN SIGHT, IT WAS THE ONLY AIRPLANE IN THE PATTERN FOR THE RWY OF INTENDED LNDG.

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.