A C172 pilot, flying IFR under the hood, took evasive action when his safety pilot observed smoke an...

Attributes
ACN	608009
Time
Date	200402
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : rod.vortac
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : day.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 741 flight time type : 710
ASRS Report	608009
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While on IFR flight plan, I was flying airplane 'under the hood.' my safety pilot saw smoke coming from the avionics stack, then smelled 'electrical burning.' she notified me of the smoke, which I observed and it was coming out very strong. Not wanting to see the situation deteriorate further, I elected to turn off the master without declaring an emergency. My rear seat passenger had a GPS turned on and gave me distance/vectors to nearest field, I12, where I landed without incident. Once on the ground, I called FSS to let them know what happened and returned the call of a dayton controller who called the FBO to ask me to call him. I feel I took the appropriate action for the situation. I did not want this 'burning' to get out of control and turning off the master fixed the problem. In the future, I'll have my portable radio in a convenient location to use for just this situation (it was buried in my flight bag, in the baggage area, under other bags, coats, etc).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT, FLYING IFR UNDER THE HOOD, TOOK EVASIVE ACTION WHEN HIS SAFETY PLT OBSERVED SMOKE AND LANDED AT I12.

Narrative: WHILE ON IFR FLT PLAN, I WAS FLYING AIRPLANE 'UNDER THE HOOD.' MY SAFETY PLT SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE AVIONICS STACK, THEN SMELLED 'ELECTRICAL BURNING.' SHE NOTIFIED ME OF THE SMOKE, WHICH I OBSERVED AND IT WAS COMING OUT VERY STRONG. NOT WANTING TO SEE THE SIT DETERIORATE FURTHER, I ELECTED TO TURN OFF THE MASTER WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER. MY REAR SEAT PAX HAD A GPS TURNED ON AND GAVE ME DISTANCE/VECTORS TO NEAREST FIELD, I12, WHERE I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ONCE ON THE GND, I CALLED FSS TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND RETURNED THE CALL OF A DAYTON CTLR WHO CALLED THE FBO TO ASK ME TO CALL HIM. I FEEL I TOOK THE APPROPRIATE ACTION FOR THE SIT. I DID NOT WANT THIS 'BURNING' TO GET OUT OF CTL AND TURNING OFF THE MASTER FIXED THE PROB. IN THE FUTURE, I'LL HAVE MY PORTABLE RADIO IN A CONVENIENT LOCATION TO USE FOR JUST THIS SIT (IT WAS BURIED IN MY FLT BAG, IN THE BAGGAGE AREA, UNDER OTHER BAGS, COATS, ETC).

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.

A C172 pilot, flying IFR under the hood, took evasive action when his safety pilot observed smoke and landed at I12.