# Incident 19960604016749I: Beech 1900C, Bluefield, WV, June 4, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 4, 1996, 21:00 local time
- Place: Bluefield, WV
- Airport: Mercer County
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: GPPA
- Location: 37.2959° N, 81.2075° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MERCER COUNTY (BLF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.2959&lon=-81.2075&mi=10
- Aircraft: N129GP (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: BEECH 1900C
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A65*
- People aboard: 10
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,700 total, 2,080 in this make and model, 228 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960604016749I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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