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A helicopter in cruise at 1000 ft diverted due to smoke in the cockpit caused by a seized air-conditioning compressor.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 375767 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 4900 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 375767 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
At approximately XA05 myself and my crew noticed a smell immediately followed by smoke in the cockpit. The smoke was coming out of the air-conditioning vents so I turned off the air-conditioning, notified dispatch that I was making a precautionary landing to a field. After landing I shut down the aircraft and opened the cowling where the air-conditioner compressor was located. I discovered the compressor had seized up. I then called my director of maintenance and director of operations. They told me to cut the belt, do a 15 min ground run, then rechk everything and call them back. I did what was said and called back to say everything checked out. They then said to fly it back to ZZZ without the crew so I asked if that was legal without a mechanic looking at it and they said yes. I then requested that they call the FSDO and make sure and I would call back. 10 mins later I called back and they told me that all I had to do was write it up on the MEL. So I did so. I found out later that we should have had a ferry permit so that is why I am submitting this report.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A HELI IN CRUISE AT 1000 FT DIVERTED DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT CAUSED BY A SEIZED AIR-CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR.
Narrative: AT APPROX XA05 MYSELF AND MY CREW NOTICED A SMELL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE AIR-CONDITIONING VENTS SO I TURNED OFF THE AIR-CONDITIONING, NOTIFIED DISPATCH THAT I WAS MAKING A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG TO A FIELD. AFTER LNDG I SHUT DOWN THE ACFT AND OPENED THE COWLING WHERE THE AIR-CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR WAS LOCATED. I DISCOVERED THE COMPRESSOR HAD SEIZED UP. I THEN CALLED MY DIRECTOR OF MAINT AND DIRECTOR OF OPS. THEY TOLD ME TO CUT THE BELT, DO A 15 MIN GND RUN, THEN RECHK EVERYTHING AND CALL THEM BACK. I DID WHAT WAS SAID AND CALLED BACK TO SAY EVERYTHING CHKED OUT. THEY THEN SAID TO FLY IT BACK TO ZZZ WITHOUT THE CREW SO I ASKED IF THAT WAS LEGAL WITHOUT A MECH LOOKING AT IT AND THEY SAID YES. I THEN REQUESTED THAT THEY CALL THE FSDO AND MAKE SURE AND I WOULD CALL BACK. 10 MINS LATER I CALLED BACK AND THEY TOLD ME THAT ALL I HAD TO DO WAS WRITE IT UP ON THE MEL. SO I DID SO. I FOUND OUT LATER THAT WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A FERRY PERMIT SO THAT IS WHY I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT.
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.