What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was on a business flight from worthington, MN (otg) to st. paul MN (stp). While descending from cruise altitude of 12,000' MSL about 45 miles sw of stp, the pilot noticed smoke coming from behind the co-pilots instrument panel. All unnecessary electrical items were then turned off. According to the pilot, the smoke continued to thicken. The pilot advised ATC that he had smoke in the aircraft and declared an emergency asking to be vectored to the nearest airport, which was Mankato, MN (mkt). The smoke continued to thicken. The passenger in the back of the aircraft then opened the upper cabin door and the door departed the aircraft. The smoke continued and the pilot was able to land the aircraft on runway 04 at mkt and then turned off the avionics bus which appeared to stop the smoke from increasing. The pilot taxied to the FBO and was met by the local fire department and they discovered the source of the smoke as a wire bundle near the copilot side of center pedestal. The battery was removed from the aircraft to eliminate any electrical power.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS ON A BUSINESS FLIGHT FROM WORTHINGTON, MN (OTG) TO ST. PAUL MN (STP). WHILE DESCENDING FROM CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 12,000' MSL ABOUT 45 MILES SW OF STP, THE PILOT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE CO-PILOTS INSTRUMENT PANEL. ALL UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL ITEMS WERE THEN TURNED OFF. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE SMOKE CONTINUED TO THICKEN. THE PILOT ADVISED ATC THAT HE HAD SMOKE IN THE AIRCRAFT AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY ASKING TO BE VECTORED TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT, WHICH WAS MANKATO, MN (MKT). THE SMOKE CONTINUED TO THICKEN. THE PASSENGER IN THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT THEN OPENED THE UPPER CABIN DOOR AND THE DOOR DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE SMOKE CONTINUED AND THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAY 04 AT MKT AND THEN TURNED OFF THE AVIONICS BUS WHICH APPEARED TO STOP THE SMOKE FROM INCREASING. THE PILOT TAXIED TO THE FBO AND WAS MET BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY DISCOVERED THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AS A WIRE BUNDLE NEAR THE COPILOT SIDE OF CENTER PEDESTAL. THE BATTERY WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT TO ELIMINATE ANY ELECTRICAL POWER.
Other reports on N8177Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.