Charter flight has smoke in the cockpit. Declare emergency and divert.

Attributes
ACN	286955
Time
Date	199410
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gij
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zau
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 2400 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	286955
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

First officer and I smelled an odor of something burning. Within seconds of the odor, smoke appeared from the captain's circuit breaker panel, around the #3 feeder bus circuit breaker. First officer communicated to ZAU that we have smoke in the cockpit and we need to descend, declare an emergency, and to point us towards the closest airport. At that time I proceeded with an emergency descent and gang barred the battery and generators. During the descent, after resetting the battery and generators, the smoke ceased. I entered a left crosswind for runway 27 at beh and landed. Upon landing, the fire and rescue trucks were waiting for us on the ramp. I shut down the engines and evacuate/evacuationed the airplane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER FLT HAS SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. DECLARE EMER AND DIVERT.

Narrative: FO AND I SMELLED AN ODOR OF SOMETHING BURNING. WITHIN SECONDS OF THE ODOR, SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE CAPT'S CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, AROUND THE #3 FEEDER BUS CB. FO COMMUNICATED TO ZAU THAT WE HAVE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND WE NEED TO DSND, DECLARE AN EMER, AND TO POINT US TOWARDS THE CLOSEST ARPT. AT THAT TIME I PROCEEDED WITH AN EMER DSCNT AND GANG BARRED THE BATTERY AND GENERATORS. DURING THE DSCNT, AFTER RESETTING THE BATTERY AND GENERATORS, THE SMOKE CEASED. I ENTERED A L XWIND FOR RWY 27 AT BEH AND LANDED. UPON LNDG, THE FIRE AND RESCUE TRUCKS WERE WAITING FOR US ON THE RAMP. I SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND EVACED THE AIRPLANE.

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.