What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On aug. 2 this aircraft was being operated by a commercial single engine pilot applicant and his examiner. While flying out of Tucson airport (tus) the pilot noticed smoke coming from the instrument panel. The radio panel power was shut down and the smoke subsided from the cockpit. It was determined that the smoke was coming from the radio panel.
The aircraft was approximately 10 miles to the west of tus, and the pilot declared an emergency and asked to be cleared direct runway 3 which was in sight. The aircraft was cleared to land and emergency equipment was called out to the runway.
The aircraft landed without further incident and was escorted to the ramp by emergency fire trucks. No damage occurred to the aircraft, nor any injuries to the occupants.
Maintenance looked over the aircraft and thru a process of elimination determined that the transponder was the cause of smoke being generated. The transponder was removed and sent to a repair shop where it was determined that a diode inside the transponder case burned out.
The transponder was replaced with a serviceable unit and the aircraft returned to service. There have been no further smoke indications in the aircraft since it was returned to service.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUG. 2 THIS AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL SINGLE ENGINE PILOT APPLICANT AND HIS EXAMINER. WHILE FLYING OUT OF TUCSON AIRPORT (TUS) THE PILOT NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE RADIO PANEL POWER WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE SMOKE SUBSIDED FROM THE COCKPIT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE RADIO PANEL.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES TO THE WEST OF TUS, AND THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND ASKED TO BE CLEARED DIRECT RUNWAY 3 WHICH WAS IN SIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO LAND AND EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT WAS CALLED OUT TO THE RUNWAY.
THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND WAS ESCORTED TO THE RAMP BY EMERGENCY FIRE TRUCKS. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE AIRCRAFT, NOR ANY INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS.
MAINTENANCE LOOKED OVER THE AIRCRAFT AND THRU A PROCESS OF ELIMINATION DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSPONDER WAS THE CAUSE OF SMOKE BEING GENERATED. THE TRANSPONDER WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A DIODE INSIDE THE TRANSPONDER CASE BURNED OUT.
THE TRANSPONDER WAS REPLACED WITH A SERVICEABLE UNIT AND THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO SERVICE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER SMOKE INDICATIONS IN THE AIRCRAFT SINCE IT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE.
Other reports on N9320N · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.