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An experienced pilot flying a beechcraft G35 made a precautionary landing after smelling smoke in the cockpit.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 430132 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199902 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mri.airport |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : a11.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Bonanza 33 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 430132 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to alternate |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While flying along, talking to anc approach control, I began to smell something hot or burning. I advised approach control that I had 'smoke in the cockpit' and wanted to divert direct to merrill field. I throttled back, opened the cowl flaps and immediately the odor (there was no visible smoke in the cockpit) disappeared. I proceeded directly into and landed at mri without incident or without declaring an emergency. After shutdown, I examined the engine compartment at great length and determined that there was no source of the odor that I thought I had smelled. There was no evidence of anything burnt or even scorched. I departed for my home base of birchwood a few mi to the north without further incident. I guess I overreacted to an unusual smell and caused quite a few people to become overly alarmed. I would have landed in any circumstance to check out that smell, but won't use the words 'smoke in the cockpit' again. This was a poor choice of words for this situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EXPERIENCED PLT FLYING A BEECHCRAFT G35 MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AFTER SMELLING SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT.
Narrative: WHILE FLYING ALONG, TALKING TO ANC APCH CTL, I BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING HOT OR BURNING. I ADVISED APCH CTL THAT I HAD 'SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT' AND WANTED TO DIVERT DIRECT TO MERRILL FIELD. I THROTTLED BACK, OPENED THE COWL FLAPS AND IMMEDIATELY THE ODOR (THERE WAS NO VISIBLE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT) DISAPPEARED. I PROCEEDED DIRECTLY INTO AND LANDED AT MRI WITHOUT INCIDENT OR WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER. AFTER SHUTDOWN, I EXAMINED THE ENG COMPARTMENT AT GREAT LENGTH AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO SOURCE OF THE ODOR THAT I THOUGHT I HAD SMELLED. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANYTHING BURNT OR EVEN SCORCHED. I DEPARTED FOR MY HOME BASE OF BIRCHWOOD A FEW MI TO THE N WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I GUESS I OVERREACTED TO AN UNUSUAL SMELL AND CAUSED QUITE A FEW PEOPLE TO BECOME OVERLY ALARMED. I WOULD HAVE LANDED IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCE TO CHK OUT THAT SMELL, BUT WON'T USE THE WORDS 'SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT' AGAIN. THIS WAS A POOR CHOICE OF WORDS FOR THIS SIT.
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.