Narrative:

WX 800 overcast and 3 mi, rain, fog. Company aircraft departed prior to us, gave PIREP verifying ceiling. We departed sioux city runway 13 and all appeared normal until 400 AGL. At this point I turned on 'flows' to pressurize cabin and we immediately had smells that were not normal. I asked the first officer if he smelled something burning and he verified the smell. I suggested we keep ground contact and return to land. Hd leveled at 1700 MSL (airport 1100 MSL) and I requested to turn left downwind for 13 and land. As we turned downwind the smell had dissipated. Tower asked if we wanted to declare emergency or wanted crash fire rescue equipment. Since smell had stopped, plane was flying good, no abnormal indications, I replied no. Forgot -- as we began our turn to downwind tower gave us instructions/clearance that would have taken us out for ILS 13. I advised we had airport in sight and since WX was above circling minimums, we'd like to make a visual pattern. Also asked for runway lights on maximum. They did not oppose any of this. We flew the pattern and landed normally. After landing we stopped on taxiway, with permission, went to company radio. Station agent got maintenance on phone and relayed to us: smell probably was from a compound they use when changing fuel nozzles and if we no longer had smell, all should be ok. We taxied back out, did a runup, observed normal indications and smells, departed, flew trip. Called tower supervisor from destination to see if everything was ok with them and he said, no problem. I began to worry about the technicalities instinct told me if we had a 800 ceiling and 3 mi visibility, it should not be a problem. The tower supervisor confirmed this. Our 1700' MSL pattern was above circling MDA. Still, 1) we had not done an approach that got us to a position for a circling approach (all navaids were tuned for an ILS prior to takeoff), 2) visual apches are not authorized in IFR conditions, and 3) we are not authorized contact apches. So how did we get back around and land legally? I should have declared an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WHEN STRANGE ODOR WAS DETECTED AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: WX 800 OVCST AND 3 MI, RAIN, FOG. COMPANY ACFT DEPARTED PRIOR TO US, GAVE PIREP VERIFYING CEILING. WE DEPARTED SIOUX CITY RWY 13 AND ALL APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL 400 AGL. AT THIS POINT I TURNED ON 'FLOWS' TO PRESSURIZE CABIN AND WE IMMEDIATELY HAD SMELLS THAT WERE NOT NORMAL. I ASKED THE F/O IF HE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND HE VERIFIED THE SMELL. I SUGGESTED WE KEEP GND CONTACT AND RETURN TO LAND. HD LEVELED AT 1700 MSL (ARPT 1100 MSL) AND I REQUESTED TO TURN LEFT DOWNWIND FOR 13 AND LAND. AS WE TURNED DOWNWIND THE SMELL HAD DISSIPATED. TWR ASKED IF WE WANTED TO DECLARE EMER OR WANTED CFR. SINCE SMELL HAD STOPPED, PLANE WAS FLYING GOOD, NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS, I REPLIED NO. FORGOT -- AS WE BEGAN OUR TURN TO DOWNWIND TWR GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS/CLRNC THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN US OUT FOR ILS 13. I ADVISED WE HAD ARPT IN SIGHT AND SINCE WX WAS ABOVE CIRCLING MINIMUMS, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE A VISUAL PATTERN. ALSO ASKED FOR RWY LIGHTS ON MAX. THEY DID NOT OPPOSE ANY OF THIS. WE FLEW THE PATTERN AND LANDED NORMALLY. AFTER LNDG WE STOPPED ON TXWY, WITH PERMISSION, WENT TO COMPANY RADIO. STATION AGENT GOT MAINT ON PHONE AND RELAYED TO US: SMELL PROBABLY WAS FROM A COMPOUND THEY USE WHEN CHANGING FUEL NOZZLES AND IF WE NO LONGER HAD SMELL, ALL SHOULD BE OK. WE TAXIED BACK OUT, DID A RUNUP, OBSERVED NORMAL INDICATIONS AND SMELLS, DEPARTED, FLEW TRIP. CALLED TWR SUPVR FROM DEST TO SEE IF EVERYTHING WAS OK WITH THEM AND HE SAID, NO PROBLEM. I BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT THE TECHNICALITIES INSTINCT TOLD ME IF WE HAD A 800 CEILING AND 3 MI VISIBILITY, IT SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. THE TWR SUPVR CONFIRMED THIS. OUR 1700' MSL PATTERN WAS ABOVE CIRCLING MDA. STILL, 1) WE HAD NOT DONE AN APCH THAT GOT US TO A POSITION FOR A CIRCLING APCH (ALL NAVAIDS WERE TUNED FOR AN ILS PRIOR TO TKOF), 2) VISUAL APCHES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED IN IFR CONDITIONS, AND 3) WE ARE NOT AUTHORIZED CONTACT APCHES. SO HOW DID WE GET BACK AROUND AND LAND LEGALLY? I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.