Pilots of training flight returned to land due to a burning odor in the cockpit.

Attributes
ACN	274887
Time
Date	199406
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ads
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2200 msl bound upper : 2200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ads
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 870 flight time type : 47
ASRS Report	274887
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Accomplished normal preflight inspection, taxi, and takeoff on routine training flight (flight review). Shortly after takeoff during cruise climb, a strong burning odor was noticed in the cabin. No smoke was observed but odor got progressively more intense and caused eye irritation and minor breathing difficulty. Made immediate decision to land. Advised ATC of priority landing and landed uneventfully. Taxied clear of runway and taxiway to vacant ramp area and shut down aircraft engine. Smoke was then observed coming out of the wind screen defroster vents inside the cabin and out the front end of the engine cowling. Inspection revealed a shop rag left inside the air intake for the cabin heating, ventilating, and defrosting system. The rag had gotten hot and started to burn. The rag was removed with no apparent damage to the aircraft or crew. An engine oil change had been accomplished the day before this flight. Apparently, the shop rag was either put inside the air intake for some reason, or was sucked up into it from inside the lower front engine cowl during flight. Corrective actions: pilots should be alert to check for this type of thing any time an aircraft comes out of maintenance. Mechanics should be careful to account for all parts, tools, etc after completing any maintenance on an aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLTS OF TRAINING FLT RETURNED TO LAND DUE TO A BURNING ODOR IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: ACCOMPLISHED NORMAL PREFLT INSPECTION, TAXI, AND TKOF ON ROUTINE TRAINING FLT (FLT REVIEW). SHORTLY AFTER TKOF DURING CRUISE CLB, A STRONG BURNING ODOR WAS NOTICED IN THE CABIN. NO SMOKE WAS OBSERVED BUT ODOR GOT PROGRESSIVELY MORE INTENSE AND CAUSED EYE IRRITATION AND MINOR BREATHING DIFFICULTY. MADE IMMEDIATE DECISION TO LAND. ADVISED ATC OF PRIORITY LNDG AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. TAXIED CLR OF RWY AND TXWY TO VACANT RAMP AREA AND SHUT DOWN ACFT ENG. SMOKE WAS THEN OBSERVED COMING OUT OF THE WIND SCREEN DEFROSTER VENTS INSIDE THE CABIN AND OUT THE FRONT END OF THE ENG COWLING. INSPECTION REVEALED A SHOP RAG LEFT INSIDE THE AIR INTAKE FOR THE CABIN HEATING, VENTILATING, AND DEFROSTING SYS. THE RAG HAD GOTTEN HOT AND STARTED TO BURN. THE RAG WAS REMOVED WITH NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR CREW. AN ENG OIL CHANGE HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED THE DAY BEFORE THIS FLT. APPARENTLY, THE SHOP RAG WAS EITHER PUT INSIDE THE AIR INTAKE FOR SOME REASON, OR WAS SUCKED UP INTO IT FROM INSIDE THE LOWER FRONT ENG COWL DURING FLT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: PLTS SHOULD BE ALERT TO CHK FOR THIS TYPE OF THING ANY TIME AN ACFT COMES OUT OF MAINT. MECHS SHOULD BE CAREFUL TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL PARTS, TOOLS, ETC AFTER COMPLETING ANY MAINT ON AN ACFT.

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.