Narrative:

I got the ATIS report for hwo about 15 min prior to takeoff for a local flight out west of the airport. 2500 scattered, 12 mi visibility, wind from 080 degrees at 10 KTS. I knew from a television WX report that no significant WX was expected for at least 3 days. I took off, flew my flight toward the west, then north for half an hour. Then I turned around to return to hwo. I had planned to make the flight a 1 hour flight. I started smelling something burning, then saw smoke come from behind the instrument panel. I contacted hwo tower, advised them, they had me identify. I was 10 mi northwest of the airfield. When the smoke got worse, I was afraid the plane would catch fire, so I told the tower I was making an emergency landing on a highway that looked fairly clear of vehicles. I did a perfect emergency off-airport landing with no damage to persons, plane or property. The FAA arrived on the scene about 2 hours after the incident and took my statement of what happened. He asked me if I had gotten a WX briefing, so I was honest and said, 'no,' but that I had gotten the ATIS report. Later, he checked the aircraft paperwork. This is a rented plane from a flight school. The airworthiness certificate was a photocopy. The FAA said this was no good. The owner of the flight school was there at that time. He said he had just bought the flight school and did not know where the original airworthiness certificate was, and that he did not own the plane, that it was a leaseback. The FAA told him he had to file for a new original. I asked if I was going to get a violation for not having the original airworthiness certificate onboard, even though I did a perfect job of landing the plane safely while smoke was filling the cockpit. He would not give me an answer. I also think he might violate me for not getting a briefing for WX. I learned that I should always make sure I have original paperwork and get briefings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ELECTRICAL SMOKE REQUIRES AN OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I GOT THE ATIS RPT FOR HWO ABOUT 15 MIN PRIOR TO TKOF FOR A LCL FLT OUT W OF THE ARPT. 2500 SCATTERED, 12 MI VISIBILITY, WIND FROM 080 DEGS AT 10 KTS. I KNEW FROM A TELEVISION WX RPT THAT NO SIGNIFICANT WX WAS EXPECTED FOR AT LEAST 3 DAYS. I TOOK OFF, FLEW MY FLT TOWARD THE W, THEN N FOR HALF AN HR. THEN I TURNED AROUND TO RETURN TO HWO. I HAD PLANNED TO MAKE THE FLT A 1 HR FLT. I STARTED SMELLING SOMETHING BURNING, THEN SAW SMOKE COME FROM BEHIND THE INST PANEL. I CONTACTED HWO TWR, ADVISED THEM, THEY HAD ME IDENT. I WAS 10 MI NW OF THE AIRFIELD. WHEN THE SMOKE GOT WORSE, I WAS AFRAID THE PLANE WOULD CATCH FIRE, SO I TOLD THE TWR I WAS MAKING AN EMER LNDG ON A HWY THAT LOOKED FAIRLY CLR OF VEHICLES. I DID A PERFECT EMER OFF-ARPT LNDG WITH NO DAMAGE TO PERSONS, PLANE OR PROPERTY. THE FAA ARRIVED ON THE SCENE ABOUT 2 HRS AFTER THE INCIDENT AND TOOK MY STATEMENT OF WHAT HAPPENED. HE ASKED ME IF I HAD GOTTEN A WX BRIEFING, SO I WAS HONEST AND SAID, 'NO,' BUT THAT I HAD GOTTEN THE ATIS RPT. LATER, HE CHKED THE ACFT PAPERWORK. THIS IS A RENTED PLANE FROM A FLT SCHOOL. THE AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WAS A PHOTOCOPY. THE FAA SAID THIS WAS NO GOOD. THE OWNER OF THE FLT SCHOOL WAS THERE AT THAT TIME. HE SAID HE HAD JUST BOUGHT THE FLT SCHOOL AND DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE ORIGINAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE WAS, AND THAT HE DID NOT OWN THE PLANE, THAT IT WAS A LEASEBACK. THE FAA TOLD HIM HE HAD TO FILE FOR A NEW ORIGINAL. I ASKED IF I WAS GOING TO GET A VIOLATION FOR NOT HAVING THE ORIGINAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ONBOARD, EVEN THOUGH I DID A PERFECT JOB OF LNDG THE PLANE SAFELY WHILE SMOKE WAS FILLING THE COCKPIT. HE WOULD NOT GIVE ME AN ANSWER. I ALSO THINK HE MIGHT VIOLATE ME FOR NOT GETTING A BRIEFING FOR WX. I LEARNED THAT I SHOULD ALWAYS MAKE SURE I HAVE ORIGINAL PAPERWORK AND GET BRIEFINGS.

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.