19960604016749I

Incident

FAA incident report · Beech 1900C · Bluefield, WV · June 4, 1996

Date: June 4, 1996 · 21:00 local
Place: Bluefield, WV
Airport: Mercer County
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: GPPA
Aircraft: N129GP
Reported as: Beech 1900C
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A65*
People aboard: 10
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,700 total2,080 in this make and model228 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: during cruise at 10,000 ft, the crew noticed smoke coming from behind the instrument panel above the radar unit. The PIC shut off the radar, and advised ATC that he needed to descend to 6000 ft and that he had smoke in the cockpit. ATC gave clearance to 6000 ft and notified the PIC that the Bluefield airport was 10 o'clock and 10 miles. The PIC declared an emergency and dumped cabin pressure to remove the smoke. The PIC received vectors for the ILS 23 at blf from ATC. The PIC advised the passengers that they had smoke in the cockpit and to prepare to land at the Bluefield airport. The fo made the approach and landed at blf using ILS 23. The landing was made without incident. After landing, the smoke was gone but, the smell was still present. The aircraft taxied to the ramp, shut down the engines and unloaded the passengers thru the cabin door. The cause of the smoke was determined to be the radar display unit. This report closes this incident.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: DURING CRUISE AT 10,000 FT, THE CREW NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ABOVE THE RADAR UNIT. THE PIC SHUT OFF THE RADAR, AND ADVISED ATC THAT HE NEEDED TO DESCEND TO 6000 FT AND THAT HE HAD SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. ATC GAVE CLEARANCE TO 6000 FT AND NOTIFIED THE PIC THAT THE BLUEFIELD AIRPORT WAS 10 O'CLOCK AND 10 MILES. THE PIC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DUMPED CABIN PRESSURE TO REMOVE THE SMOKE. THE PIC RECEIVED VECTORS FOR THE ILS 23 AT BLF FROM ATC. THE PIC ADVISED THE PASSENGERS THAT THEY HAD SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND TO PREPARE TO LAND AT THE BLUEFIELD AIRPORT. THE FO MADE THE APPROACH AND LANDED AT BLF USING ILS 23. THE LANDING WAS MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER LANDING, THE SMOKE WAS GONE BUT, THE SMELL WAS STILL PRESENT. THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO THE RAMP, SHUT DOWN THE ENGINES AND UNLOADED THE PASSENGERS THRU THE CABIN DOOR. THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE RADAR DISPLAY UNIT. THIS REPORT CLOSES THIS INCIDENT.