20110501006309I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Rockwell International 695 · Lincoln, NE · May 1, 2011

Date: May 1, 2011 · 08:30 local
Place: Lincoln, NE
Airport: Lincoln
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N126M
Reported as: Rockwell International 695
Reported engine: AiResearch TPE331 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,000 total150 in this make and model30 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.

At cruise altitude, pilot reported smoke smell in the cockpit and declared an emergency. Aircraft was diverted to Lincoln, Nebraska. Upon landing, smoke began to come out of the front instrument panel area. Aircraft power was secured and pilot and passenger departed the aircraft. Aircraft was towed to duncan aviation repair station, and upon investigation, found cockpit side window heat plumbing and ducts to reveal signs of overheating. Cockpit glare shield also showed charring in a confined area. System was repaired/cleaned and disabled. Aircraft was released back to customer and flight was completed with no further events.

As the FAA filed it

AT CRUISE ALTITUDE, PILOT REPORTED SMOKE SMELL IN THE COCKPIT AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. AIRCRAFT WAS DIVERTED TO LINCOLN, NEBRASKA. UPON LANDING, SMOKE BEGAN TO COME OUT OF THE FRONT INSTRUMENT PANEL AREA. AIRCRAFT POWER WAS SECURED AND PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO DUNCAN AVIATION REPAIR STATION, AND UPON INVESTIGATION, FOUND COCKPIT SIDE WINDOW HEAT PLUMBING AND DUCTS TO REVEAL SIGNS OF OVERHEATING. COCKPIT GLARE SHIELD ALSO SHOWED CHARRING IN A CONFINED AREA. SYSTEM WAS REPAIRED/CLEANED AND DISABLED. AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED BACK TO CUSTOMER AND FLIGHT WAS COMPLETED WITH NO FURTHER EVENTS.