A C182RG in climb at 6000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to strong electrical burning odo...

Attributes
ACN	654127
Time
Date	200504
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 550 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	654127
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was climbing from 4000 ft to 7000 ft when a strong smell of electrical burning occurred and a whiff of smoke appeared from under panel. I declared an emergency to departure control and descended and returned to ZZZ. The smell seemed to get better and the smoke no longer appeared once dive was initiated. This prompted the decision to continue to ZZZ rather than the closer airport. The continued flight after initial dive/landing was uneventful. Upon landing; there were 500+ scorch marks O right side of cowl. The panel lights and gauge illumination lights were flashing on and off throughout the descent; landing and taxi. The generator's temperature monitor for cylinder #1 stopped responding at some point during descent. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the cause of the smoke and electrical burning odor was a failed exhaust manifold which allowed hot exhaust gas to burn wiring; baffles and enter the cabin heater system. The wiring incurred severe damage and the engine cowling was scorched. A preflight did not reveal any exhaust manifold cracks prior to flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182RG IN CLB AT 6000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR AND SMOKE IN CABIN. CAUSED BY BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD.

Narrative: I WAS CLBING FROM 4000 FT TO 7000 FT WHEN A STRONG SMELL OF ELECTRICAL BURNING OCCURRED AND A WHIFF OF SMOKE APPEARED FROM UNDER PANEL. I DECLARED AN EMER TO DEP CTL AND DSNDED AND RETURNED TO ZZZ. THE SMELL SEEMED TO GET BETTER AND THE SMOKE NO LONGER APPEARED ONCE DIVE WAS INITIATED. THIS PROMPTED THE DECISION TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ RATHER THAN THE CLOSER ARPT. THE CONTINUED FLT AFTER INITIAL DIVE/LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON LNDG; THERE WERE 500+ SCORCH MARKS O R SIDE OF COWL. THE PANEL LIGHTS AND GAUGE ILLUMINATION LIGHTS WERE FLASHING ON AND OFF THROUGHOUT THE DSCNT; LNDG AND TAXI. THE GENERATOR'S TEMP MONITOR FOR CYLINDER #1 STOPPED RESPONDING AT SOME POINT DURING DSCNT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE AND ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR WAS A FAILED EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHICH ALLOWED HOT EXHAUST GAS TO BURN WIRING; BAFFLES AND ENTER THE CABIN HEATER SYS. THE WIRING INCURRED SEVERE DAMAGE AND THE ENG COWLING WAS SCORCHED. A PREFLT DID NOT REVEAL ANY EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKS PRIOR TO FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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 C182RG in climb at 6000 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to strong electrical burning odor and smoke in cabin. Caused by broken exhaust manifold.