C172 pilot observed smoke from engine cowling after takeoff and returned for precautionary landing.

Attributes
ACN	744580
Time
Date	200706
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cys.airport
State Reference	WY
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cys.tower
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 163 flight time total : 627 flight time type : 278
ASRS Report	744580
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During a normal VFR day an incident occurred during takeoff. There were no prior indications of any abnormal indications. During the run-up everything checked out and seemed to be operating normally. During takeoff normal power was achieved during rotation. When reaching approximately 500 ft AGL I noticed smoke coming from cowling. At that point I immediately informed tower of my situation and landed on the nearest runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: an emergency was not declared; but the tower was notified of the problem and the pilot's request for landing on closest runway was accommodated. An uneventful landing was accomplished. The source of the smoke was not obvious during initial maintenance inspection of the aircraft; and the reporter was not aware of the status of the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT OBSERVED SMOKE FROM ENG COWLING AFTER TKOF AND RETURNED FOR PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.

Narrative: DURING A NORMAL VFR DAY AN INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING TKOF. THERE WERE NO PRIOR INDICATIONS OF ANY ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. DURING THE RUN-UP EVERYTHING CHKED OUT AND SEEMED TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. DURING TKOF NORMAL PWR WAS ACHIEVED DURING ROTATION. WHEN REACHING APPROX 500 FT AGL I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM COWLING. AT THAT POINT I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED TWR OF MY SITUATION AND LANDED ON THE NEAREST RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED; BUT THE TWR WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND THE PLT'S REQUEST FOR LNDG ON CLOSEST RWY WAS ACCOMMODATED. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE WAS NOT OBVIOUS DURING INITIAL MAINT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT; AND THE REPORTER WAS NOT AWARE OF THE STATUS OF THE ACFT.

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.