An embraer 120 declared an emergency due to smoke and fumes in the cockpit and cabin.

Attributes
ACN	374834
Time
Date	199707
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lal
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Xingu EMB-121 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	374834
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After passing lal VOR, en route from mco to srq, the first officer and I noticed a smell in the cockpit. I called the flight attendant to find out if she had noticed the smell. She said the smell was back to row 5. She also said it smelled like burnt rubber. I turned off the recirculation and gasper fans. While on descent into srq, the first officer idented smoke coming from behind the ice and rain relay panel. I then took over the flying duties and had the first officer put on his oxygen mask. I declared an emergency with ATC. Smoke never filled the cockpit. The smoke coming from the side panel subsided. I did a straight-in approach to runway 22 to an uneventful landing. Because the smoke never was severe enough for me to see and the first officer said there was no more visible smoke, we taxied to the gate and deplaned in a normal fashion. Later, mechanics found a relay burnt. What was causing the fumes was a wire connector that was laying on the terminal of an adjacent relay. After time, the insulation of the connector wore through causing a short. The fumes were that of the insulation burning on the wire and relay.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 120 DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN.

Narrative: AFTER PASSING LAL VOR, ENRTE FROM MCO TO SRQ, THE FO AND I NOTICED A SMELL IN THE COCKPIT. I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO FIND OUT IF SHE HAD NOTICED THE SMELL. SHE SAID THE SMELL WAS BACK TO ROW 5. SHE ALSO SAID IT SMELLED LIKE BURNT RUBBER. I TURNED OFF THE RECIRCULATION AND GASPER FANS. WHILE ON DSCNT INTO SRQ, THE FO IDENTED SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE ICE AND RAIN RELAY PANEL. I THEN TOOK OVER THE FLYING DUTIES AND HAD THE FO PUT ON HIS OXYGEN MASK. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC. SMOKE NEVER FILLED THE COCKPIT. THE SMOKE COMING FROM THE SIDE PANEL SUBSIDED. I DID A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 22 TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. BECAUSE THE SMOKE NEVER WAS SEVERE ENOUGH FOR ME TO SEE AND THE FO SAID THERE WAS NO MORE VISIBLE SMOKE, WE TAXIED TO THE GATE AND DEPLANED IN A NORMAL FASHION. LATER, MECHS FOUND A RELAY BURNT. WHAT WAS CAUSING THE FUMES WAS A WIRE CONNECTOR THAT WAS LAYING ON THE TERMINAL OF AN ADJACENT RELAY. AFTER TIME, THE INSULATION OF THE CONNECTOR WORE THROUGH CAUSING A SHORT. THE FUMES WERE THAT OF THE INSULATION BURNING ON THE WIRE AND RELAY.

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.