Narrative:

IFR M39 to 2w5, routine flight until in area of bkw when smoke and fire came out of left side of INS panel. Master switch off, O2 mask on, declared emergency and advised starting descent and depressurizing. Smoke and fire stopped. Turned 1 radio, VOR and IFF on with no smoke and fire, but had lost all cockpit lights and autoplt. Cancelled emergency and asked for clearance as filed to 2w5. Granted, but shortly thereafter ZDC rerted me to aml, north of 2w5 into wash TCA. I objected and requested again to go as filed to csn to 2w5 on brv to 2w5, shortest route plus kept me out of heavy airline traffic at iad, dca and wash TCA. Denied. I asked ZDC and dca approach twice. Denied. They then rerted me from the south where there was little or no traffic to the north, adding me to the controllers heavy workload and greatly increasing my workload with all the vectors, altitude, and frequency and route changes. All this and I had no cockpit lights or autoplt. It overloaded me checking the maps, headings, altitude, airspeed, attitude, navigation and engine INS with a flashlight held in my teeth and no autoplt. In this dark cockpit, I descended more than 200' below the 6000' assigned altitude. Immediately noticed it, returned to 6000' when dca approach asked my altitude. I was vectored some more and finally was cleared direct to 2w5 only 5 mi out. Why was this huge unnecessary workload put on me and extra workload put on dca approach? Why did the controller rerte me to the north, out of my way, nd drag me through iad, dca and wash TCA, then back south to 2w5? All this could have been so simple and this altitude excursion prevented by leaving me on my IFR flight plan on J147, the eastbound recommended route, to csn direct 2w5. Cause: ATC changing IFR flight plan from low workload approach from the south to 2w5 to high workload and high density area of iad, dca and wash TCA, especially when they knew I was recovering from a smoke and fire emergency. The last dca approach controller who finally cleared me to 2w5 about 5 mi out even apologized for being so uncooperative, but said he had another situation he was working on. Let's cooperate to reduce our workload, not increase them and decrease safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT LIGHT TWIN CANCELS DECLARED EMERGENCY AND PROCEEDS VIA FILED ROUTE TO DESTINATION UNTIL ATC AMENDS HIS CLRNC WITH AN ALTERNATE ROUTE THAT THE REPORTER FOUND TO BE MUCH MORE WORKLOAD FOR HIMSELF.

Narrative: IFR M39 TO 2W5, ROUTINE FLT UNTIL IN AREA OF BKW WHEN SMOKE AND FIRE CAME OUT OF LEFT SIDE OF INS PANEL. MASTER SWITCH OFF, O2 MASK ON, DECLARED EMER AND ADVISED STARTING DSNT AND DEPRESSURIZING. SMOKE AND FIRE STOPPED. TURNED 1 RADIO, VOR AND IFF ON WITH NO SMOKE AND FIRE, BUT HAD LOST ALL COCKPIT LIGHTS AND AUTOPLT. CANCELLED EMER AND ASKED FOR CLRNC AS FILED TO 2W5. GRANTED, BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER ZDC RERTED ME TO AML, N OF 2W5 INTO WASH TCA. I OBJECTED AND REQUESTED AGAIN TO GO AS FILED TO CSN TO 2W5 ON BRV TO 2W5, SHORTEST RTE PLUS KEPT ME OUT OF HVY AIRLINE TFC AT IAD, DCA AND WASH TCA. DENIED. I ASKED ZDC AND DCA APCH TWICE. DENIED. THEY THEN RERTED ME FROM THE S WHERE THERE WAS LITTLE OR NO TFC TO THE N, ADDING ME TO THE CTLRS HVY WORKLOAD AND GREATLY INCREASING MY WORKLOAD WITH ALL THE VECTORS, ALT, AND FREQ AND RTE CHANGES. ALL THIS AND I HAD NO COCKPIT LIGHTS OR AUTOPLT. IT OVERLOADED ME CHKING THE MAPS, HDGS, ALT, AIRSPD, ATTITUDE, NAV AND ENG INS WITH A FLASHLIGHT HELD IN MY TEETH AND NO AUTOPLT. IN THIS DARK COCKPIT, I DSNDED MORE THAN 200' BELOW THE 6000' ASSIGNED ALT. IMMEDIATELY NOTICED IT, RETURNED TO 6000' WHEN DCA APCH ASKED MY ALT. I WAS VECTORED SOME MORE AND FINALLY WAS CLRED DIRECT TO 2W5 ONLY 5 MI OUT. WHY WAS THIS HUGE UNNECESSARY WORKLOAD PUT ON ME AND EXTRA WORKLOAD PUT ON DCA APCH? WHY DID THE CTLR RERTE ME TO THE N, OUT OF MY WAY, ND DRAG ME THROUGH IAD, DCA AND WASH TCA, THEN BACK S TO 2W5? ALL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SO SIMPLE AND THIS ALT EXCURSION PREVENTED BY LEAVING ME ON MY IFR FLT PLAN ON J147, THE EBND RECOMMENDED RTE, TO CSN DIRECT 2W5. CAUSE: ATC CHANGING IFR FLT PLAN FROM LOW WORKLOAD APCH FROM THE S TO 2W5 TO HIGH WORKLOAD AND HIGH DENSITY AREA OF IAD, DCA AND WASH TCA, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY KNEW I WAS RECOVERING FROM A SMOKE AND FIRE EMER. THE LAST DCA APCH CTLR WHO FINALLY CLRED ME TO 2W5 ABOUT 5 MI OUT EVEN APOLOGIZED FOR BEING SO UNCOOPERATIVE, BUT SAID HE HAD ANOTHER SITUATION HE WAS WORKING ON. LET'S COOPERATE TO REDUCE OUR WORKLOAD, NOT INCREASE THEM AND DECREASE SAFETY.

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.