Narrative:

I was en route from tpl to hqz on a night flight. Since takeoff at tpl I had noticed a persistent chemical smell. About 40 NM sse of dfw, I also noticed the low voltage light would come on intermittently. I began a detailed look around cockpit area for possible causes. I discovered that when the low voltage light came on, the gear pump for the landing gear was running. When I looked closer at the gear system, I found that fine mist or fog was coming out from the panel where the gear selector is located. This mist was the chemical smell. I tried to cycle the gear twice to see if I could get the hydraulic fluid to quit spraying out in either the up or down position. It didn't stop in either position, and the amount of fluid spraying out now appeared to be worse than before. I then felt it best to put the gear down and leave it down, while I still could. The gear went down and showed locked (green). I then discovered that, if I pulled the gear circuit breaker, as the pressure bled off, the fog of hydraulic fluid would eventually stop. After all of this, I re-evaluated my situation and decided I would try to call approach and get them to let me divert from hqz to ads where there was a repair shop that I had used before. When I did call approach they scolded me for being inside the class B airspace at my cruising altitude of 5500 MSL. I must have been right on the border of the class B when I first called, because the first controllers position on me was 2 NM southeast of lnc, which would place me 4 NM inside class B. In between my first call and the above position, the controller gave instructions to other planes and I needed to set in the discrete code in the transponder, which means at least 1-2 mins elapsed. I felt very bad that a pilot with my number of total time and experience would let this happen. I am particularly upset that I let the problem distract me to the extent that it affected my basic flying skills. In addition, after listening to ATIS at ads, I still caught myself maneuvering to land on the wrong runway at ads. In summation, I can now see how experienced pilots have let small cockpit emergencys escalate into big accidents. I have relived in my mind all the things that are turning over in your thoughts as this is happening. What do I do now? Where will I land? Is hydraulic fluid flammable? Even though the gear showed down and locked, is it still locked after the pressure leaks off? Will the gear collapse? Is the nose gear really down? (I can see the mains). Why is this happening? What caused it? All of the controllers and tower personnel were very helpful and concerned during the whole incident. As a postscript, the fuse panel on the cessna 210 is located by the pilot's left knee. 2 times after I pulled the circuit breaker on the gear pump, my left knee bumped the breaker back in enough to cause the fog to start all over again. This didn't help my concentration any. I experienced burning in my nose and lips later, which I attribute to inhaling hydraulic fluid.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS HYD LEAK EMITTING CHEMICAL SPRAY INTO COCKPIT. WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING, ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM TPL TO HQZ ON A NIGHT FLT. SINCE TKOF AT TPL I HAD NOTICED A PERSISTENT CHEMICAL SMELL. ABOUT 40 NM SSE OF DFW, I ALSO NOTICED THE LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT WOULD COME ON INTERMITTENTLY. I BEGAN A DETAILED LOOK AROUND COCKPIT AREA FOR POSSIBLE CAUSES. I DISCOVERED THAT WHEN THE LOW VOLTAGE LIGHT CAME ON, THE GEAR PUMP FOR THE LNDG GEAR WAS RUNNING. WHEN I LOOKED CLOSER AT THE GEAR SYS, I FOUND THAT FINE MIST OR FOG WAS COMING OUT FROM THE PANEL WHERE THE GEAR SELECTOR IS LOCATED. THIS MIST WAS THE CHEMICAL SMELL. I TRIED TO CYCLE THE GEAR TWICE TO SEE IF I COULD GET THE HYD FLUID TO QUIT SPRAYING OUT IN EITHER THE UP OR DOWN POS. IT DIDN'T STOP IN EITHER POS, AND THE AMOUNT OF FLUID SPRAYING OUT NOW APPEARED TO BE WORSE THAN BEFORE. I THEN FELT IT BEST TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND LEAVE IT DOWN, WHILE I STILL COULD. THE GEAR WENT DOWN AND SHOWED LOCKED (GREEN). I THEN DISCOVERED THAT, IF I PULLED THE GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER, AS THE PRESSURE BLED OFF, THE FOG OF HYD FLUID WOULD EVENTUALLY STOP. AFTER ALL OF THIS, I RE-EVALUATED MY SIT AND DECIDED I WOULD TRY TO CALL APCH AND GET THEM TO LET ME DIVERT FROM HQZ TO ADS WHERE THERE WAS A REPAIR SHOP THAT I HAD USED BEFORE. WHEN I DID CALL APCH THEY SCOLDED ME FOR BEING INSIDE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT MY CRUISING ALT OF 5500 MSL. I MUST HAVE BEEN RIGHT ON THE BORDER OF THE CLASS B WHEN I FIRST CALLED, BECAUSE THE FIRST CTLRS POS ON ME WAS 2 NM SE OF LNC, WHICH WOULD PLACE ME 4 NM INSIDE CLASS B. IN BTWN MY FIRST CALL AND THE ABOVE POS, THE CTLR GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER PLANES AND I NEEDED TO SET IN THE DISCRETE CODE IN THE XPONDER, WHICH MEANS AT LEAST 1-2 MINS ELAPSED. I FELT VERY BAD THAT A PLT WITH MY NUMBER OF TOTAL TIME AND EXPERIENCE WOULD LET THIS HAPPEN. I AM PARTICULARLY UPSET THAT I LET THE PROB DISTRACT ME TO THE EXTENT THAT IT AFFECTED MY BASIC FLYING SKILLS. IN ADDITION, AFTER LISTENING TO ATIS AT ADS, I STILL CAUGHT MYSELF MANEUVERING TO LAND ON THE WRONG RWY AT ADS. IN SUMMATION, I CAN NOW SEE HOW EXPERIENCED PLTS HAVE LET SMALL COCKPIT EMERS ESCALATE INTO BIG ACCIDENTS. I HAVE RELIVED IN MY MIND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE TURNING OVER IN YOUR THOUGHTS AS THIS IS HAPPENING. WHAT DO I DO NOW? WHERE WILL I LAND? IS HYD FLUID FLAMMABLE? EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHOWED DOWN AND LOCKED, IS IT STILL LOCKED AFTER THE PRESSURE LEAKS OFF? WILL THE GEAR COLLAPSE? IS THE NOSE GEAR REALLY DOWN? (I CAN SEE THE MAINS). WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? WHAT CAUSED IT? ALL OF THE CTLRS AND TWR PERSONNEL WERE VERY HELPFUL AND CONCERNED DURING THE WHOLE INCIDENT. AS A POSTSCRIPT, THE FUSE PANEL ON THE CESSNA 210 IS LOCATED BY THE PLT'S L KNEE. 2 TIMES AFTER I PULLED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE GEAR PUMP, MY L KNEE BUMPED THE BREAKER BACK IN ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE FOG TO START ALL OVER AGAIN. THIS DIDN'T HELP MY CONCENTRATION ANY. I EXPERIENCED BURNING IN MY NOSE AND LIPS LATER, WHICH I ATTRIBUTE TO INHALING HYD FLUID.

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.