Narrative:

We made a normal nighttime departure from rdu. We had just been handed off to ZDC, level at 14000 ft MSL, when I noticed a peculiar distorted appearance to the instruments. I smelled smoke at the same moment that I was pointing out the weirdness to the copilot. Smoke is not instantly visible in a dark cockpit. ATC was immediately advised. They cleared us direct and down to 12000 ft MSL. He then said to contact rdu approach. So far so good. Then I told the copilot to put on his oxygen mask as I donned mine. As I did this, I wiped my headset off, but didn't realize it. I selected 'mask' on the communication console which allowed me to communicate with ATC. My copilot changed frequencys and communicated with rdu approach. He heard them clear us to 4000 ft MSL. I heard nothing. No copilot talk, no ATC. I then remembered that I needed to select 'cockpit' on the communication console so that he could hear me by way of a 'hot' microphone set-up. I asked him if we had been cleared any lower. He answered, but I couldn't hear him. I was isolated and frustrated. I pulled my mask off and told him I couldn't hear him. He punched on his hot microphone about the same time I realized I needed to go to 'speaker' to hear anything. We were back in business. This flight department is now operating on the assumption that we will lose our headsets and must go to speaker in a similar situation. Positional awareness was excellent. However, the FMS was confusing. It would accept 'direct' to rdu but a second later would FLIP to the next leg which was of course behind us. I went to select rdu on the #1 navigation but it was dead. (#1 navigation had fried internally and was the source of our smoke) #2 navigation did the trick. Now I could see the well lit terminal complex but no runways. We requested that the tower turn up the runway lights which they did after a few seconds. It was wonderful. Orientation was complete. ATC might want to do this as a regular part of night time emergency procedures. The usual low runway lighting is extremely difficult to pick out against the background of normal city and terminal area lights. Finally, the rdu crash fire rescue equipment personnel were excellent in helping us safely explore what had burned and confirming the problem was over.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RETURN LAND PERFORMED IN A DA90 FALCON 900 IN A NIGHT OP WHEN SMOKE IS DETECTED IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: WE MADE A NORMAL NIGHTTIME DEP FROM RDU. WE HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OFF TO ZDC, LEVEL AT 14000 FT MSL, WHEN I NOTICED A PECULIAR DISTORTED APPEARANCE TO THE INSTS. I SMELLED SMOKE AT THE SAME MOMENT THAT I WAS POINTING OUT THE WEIRDNESS TO THE COPLT. SMOKE IS NOT INSTANTLY VISIBLE IN A DARK COCKPIT. ATC WAS IMMEDIATELY ADVISED. THEY CLRED US DIRECT AND DOWN TO 12000 FT MSL. HE THEN SAID TO CONTACT RDU APCH. SO FAR SO GOOD. THEN I TOLD THE COPLT TO PUT ON HIS OXYGEN MASK AS I DONNED MINE. AS I DID THIS, I WIPED MY HEADSET OFF, BUT DIDN'T REALIZE IT. I SELECTED 'MASK' ON THE COM CONSOLE WHICH ALLOWED ME TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC. MY COPLT CHANGED FREQS AND COMMUNICATED WITH RDU APCH. HE HEARD THEM CLR US TO 4000 FT MSL. I HEARD NOTHING. NO COPLT TALK, NO ATC. I THEN REMEMBERED THAT I NEEDED TO SELECT 'COCKPIT' ON THE COM CONSOLE SO THAT HE COULD HEAR ME BY WAY OF A 'HOT' MIKE SET-UP. I ASKED HIM IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED ANY LOWER. HE ANSWERED, BUT I COULDN'T HEAR HIM. I WAS ISOLATED AND FRUSTRATED. I PULLED MY MASK OFF AND TOLD HIM I COULDN'T HEAR HIM. HE PUNCHED ON HIS HOT MIKE ABOUT THE SAME TIME I REALIZED I NEEDED TO GO TO 'SPEAKER' TO HEAR ANYTHING. WE WERE BACK IN BUSINESS. THIS FLT DEPT IS NOW OPERATING ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT WE WILL LOSE OUR HEADSETS AND MUST GO TO SPEAKER IN A SIMILAR SIT. POSITIONAL AWARENESS WAS EXCELLENT. HOWEVER, THE FMS WAS CONFUSING. IT WOULD ACCEPT 'DIRECT' TO RDU BUT A SECOND LATER WOULD FLIP TO THE NEXT LEG WHICH WAS OF COURSE BEHIND US. I WENT TO SELECT RDU ON THE #1 NAV BUT IT WAS DEAD. (#1 NAV HAD FRIED INTERNALLY AND WAS THE SOURCE OF OUR SMOKE) #2 NAV DID THE TRICK. NOW I COULD SEE THE WELL LIT TERMINAL COMPLEX BUT NO RWYS. WE REQUESTED THAT THE TWR TURN UP THE RWY LIGHTS WHICH THEY DID AFTER A FEW SECONDS. IT WAS WONDERFUL. ORIENTATION WAS COMPLETE. ATC MIGHT WANT TO DO THIS AS A REGULAR PART OF NIGHT TIME EMER PROCS. THE USUAL LOW RWY LIGHTING IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PICK OUT AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF NORMAL CITY AND TERMINAL AREA LIGHTS. FINALLY, THE RDU CFR PERSONNEL WERE EXCELLENT IN HELPING US SAFELY EXPLORE WHAT HAD BURNED AND CONFIRMING THE PROB WAS OVER.

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.