# Incident 20130503006839I: Cessna 414, Mankato, MN, May 3, 2013

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 3, 2013, 13:11 local time
- Place: Mankato, MN
- Airport: Mankato Regional
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.2228° N, 93.9193° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MANKATO RGNL (MKT), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.2228&lon=-93.9193&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8177Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8177Q-2018-05-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 414 (registry code 2075908, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-414) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental GTSIO-520-C (registry code 17035, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-gtsio-520-c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 414
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-520-NB
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,282 total, 95 in this make and model, 57 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130503006839I

## Narrative

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

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.

- [Incident 19810221028869I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810221028869I), Feb 21, 1981: Cessna 414 (N8177Q), El Cajon, CA, Minor damage. During taxi right prop struck a taxi light. Steps are being taken to eliminate this hazard by the airport.

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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