Narrative:

During the takeoff at approximately 500 AGL from kind, a strong smell of overheated equipment emanated in the cockpit. Fearing a situation resulting in the cockpit and cabin filling with smoke, we elected to deviate from the straight-out departure clearance from runway 05L and return to land with the execution of a left downwind maneuver. We had already begun the turn when tower at ind requested a r-hand turn for us to return. Due to the fact that we were extensively involved in cockpit emergency procedures, we did not have time to converse with the tower other than to state to them that we were returning to land immediately due to a pressurization problem and that we were already in a l- hand downwind. We did notice conflicting traffic which had just departed kind, and did not consider the traffic to be of consequence to us as we proceeded in the downwind. We landed without incident and discussed the situation with ind tower to inform them of the entire sequence of events. Ind tower reacted in an exemplary manner in controling the situation. We were executing captain's emergency authority and had little or no time to converse with ind tower because of the workload in our 2 man cockpit. Many times, procedures in the cockpit of a 2 pilot aircraft preempt ATC and we must rely on common sense and predictability to complete the situation successfully. This was one of those times.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMELL OF EQUIP OVERHEAT AT 500 FT ON TKOF. STARTED L TURN FOR DOWNWIND, TWR CLRS FOR RT TURN.

Narrative: DURING THE TKOF AT APPROX 500 AGL FROM KIND, A STRONG SMELL OF OVERHEATED EQUIP EMANATED IN THE COCKPIT. FEARING A SITUATION RESULTING IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN FILLING WITH SMOKE, WE ELECTED TO DEVIATE FROM THE STRAIGHT-OUT DEP CLRNC FROM RWY 05L AND RETURN TO LAND WITH THE EXECUTION OF A L DOWNWIND MANEUVER. WE HAD ALREADY BEGUN THE TURN WHEN TWR AT IND REQUESTED A R-HAND TURN FOR US TO RETURN. DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE EXTENSIVELY INVOLVED IN COCKPIT EMER PROCS, WE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CONVERSE WITH THE TWR OTHER THAN TO STATE TO THEM THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO LAND IMMEDIATELY DUE TO A PRESSURIZATION PROBLEM AND THAT WE WERE ALREADY IN A L- HAND DOWNWIND. WE DID NOTICE CONFLICTING TFC WHICH HAD JUST DEPARTED KIND, AND DID NOT CONSIDER THE TFC TO BE OF CONSEQUENCE TO US AS WE PROCEEDED IN THE DOWNWIND. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH IND TWR TO INFORM THEM OF THE ENTIRE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. IND TWR REACTED IN AN EXEMPLARY MANNER IN CTLING THE SITUATION. WE WERE EXECUTING CAPT'S EMER AUTHORITY AND HAD LITTLE OR NO TIME TO CONVERSE WITH IND TWR BECAUSE OF THE WORKLOAD IN OUR 2 MAN COCKPIT. MANY TIMES, PROCS IN THE COCKPIT OF A 2 PLT ACFT PREEMPT ATC AND WE MUST RELY ON COMMON SENSE AND PREDICTABILITY TO COMPLETE THE SITUATION SUCCESSFULLY. THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE TIMES.

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.