<< >> NASA ASRS Report 286048, October 1994

Pilot of an small aircraft had oil smoke smell in cockpit after turning on cabin heat. Emergency declared and ATC directed to a nearby alternate.

Attributes
ACN	286048
Time
Date	199410
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pvd
State Reference	RI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : bos
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	286048
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified 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:

My flight originated at plymouth, ma, around XA30 pm and I was en route to pittsfield, ma, via putnam VOR and chester VOR. At approximately XA45 pm, 15 mi northeast of pvd, ri, I turned on the cabin heat. Approximately 1 min later, oily smelling smoke started to fill the cabin. I was with bos approach receiving flight following so I declared an emergency with them. They vectored me to pvd and while I was en route to pvd, I turned off the cabin heat. I also verified that the engine was running normally and the gauges were indicating normal. The smoke subsided shortly after turning off the cabin heat and, after careful consideration, I determined that the cabin heat was the problem. So I canceled the emergency and continued en route to pittsfield.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA HAD OIL SMOKE SMELL IN COCKPIT AFTER TURNING ON CABIN HEAT. EMER DECLARED AND ATC DIRECTED TO A NEARBY ALTERNATE.

Narrative: MY FLT ORIGINATED AT PLYMOUTH, MA, AROUND XA30 PM AND I WAS ENRTE TO PITTSFIELD, MA, VIA PUTNAM VOR AND CHESTER VOR. AT APPROX XA45 PM, 15 MI NE OF PVD, RI, I TURNED ON THE CABIN HEAT. APPROX 1 MIN LATER, OILY SMELLING SMOKE STARTED TO FILL THE CABIN. I WAS WITH BOS APCH RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING SO I DECLARED AN EMER WITH THEM. THEY VECTORED ME TO PVD AND WHILE I WAS ENRTE TO PVD, I TURNED OFF THE CABIN HEAT. I ALSO VERIFIED THAT THE ENG WAS RUNNING NORMALLY AND THE GAUGES WERE INDICATING NORMAL. THE SMOKE SUBSIDED SHORTLY AFTER TURNING OFF THE CABIN HEAT AND, AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, I DETERMINED THAT THE CABIN HEAT WAS THE PROB. SO I CANCELED THE EMER AND CONTINUED ENRTE TO PITTSFIELD.

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.