Narrative:

Beech 1900D cruising at 16000 ft en route from mke to lse with the captain the PF, the first officer the PNF, and 12 passenger on board. Crew began to smell fumes and see blue smoke in the cockpit and cabin. Crew put on oxygen masks and dropped the passenger oxygen masks. First officer asked captain if he wanted to declare an emergency. Captain said 'not at this time. Let's get direct msn.' first officer requested direct msn, landing msn, and informed we have fumes and smoke in cockpit and cabin. ATC cleared us as requested. First officer then made a cabin announcement advising the use of the masks and the crews' intent to land in msn in a few mins. Crew proceeded with 'descent' and 'fume and smoke elimination' checklists. ATC advised they were declaring an emergency for us, first officer acknowledged. Communication between crew members was slower than normal as the first officer was having difficulty breathing and talking against the pressure of the oxygen entering the mask with the selector on 'emergency' (specified by the checklist, the captain mask was put on 'normal') and the captain was having trouble remembering to use the interphone switch on his yoke. Soon the aircraft was on the downwind for runway 36 msn and the crew abandoned the 'fume and smoke elimination' checklists to focus on the approach and landing. The smoke was dissipating fast and the first officer briefly removed his mask to check the cabin air to see if the masks were still necessary. The fumes were still pretty strong so the crew kept the masks on for the landing. Crew went through the 'in-range' and 'landing final items' checklists. On the base- leg the crew discussed where they were going to stop and deplane the passenger. The source of the smoke was not found by the flight crew or maintenance personnel. I disagree with the captain's decision not to declare an emergency right away. I elected to tell ATC exactly what the problem was so they would proceed accordingly. After the flight I discussed my thoughts with the captain. Supplemental information from acn 319146: upon landing at msn I noticed that there was no crash fire rescue standing by. We immediately taxied from the runway to the ramp and deplaned the passenger. All passenger seemed to be unhurt and no assistance for them was needed. The time period from first noticing the fumes and smoke to the landing at madison was approximately 5-7 mins. The crew had not been properly trained on the use of that specific type of oxygen mask. A large portion of time and energy during the emergency was used by the crew trying to operate the masks and then communicate with them on. The only thing I would do differently would be to declare an emergency right away and not accept an aircraft that has equipment (emergency) that I have not been trained on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE02 COCKPIT AND CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE AND FUMES DURING CRUISE FLT. FLT DIVERTED. EMER DECLARED BY ARTCC RADAR CTLR.

Narrative: BEECH 1900D CRUISING AT 16000 FT ENRTE FROM MKE TO LSE WITH THE CAPT THE PF, THE FO THE PNF, AND 12 PAX ON BOARD. CREW BEGAN TO SMELL FUMES AND SEE BLUE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN. CREW PUT ON OXYGEN MASKS AND DROPPED THE PAX OXYGEN MASKS. FO ASKED CAPT IF HE WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. CAPT SAID 'NOT AT THIS TIME. LET'S GET DIRECT MSN.' FO REQUESTED DIRECT MSN, LNDG MSN, AND INFORMED WE HAVE FUMES AND SMOKE IN COCKPIT AND CABIN. ATC CLRED US AS REQUESTED. FO THEN MADE A CABIN ANNOUNCEMENT ADVISING THE USE OF THE MASKS AND THE CREWS' INTENT TO LAND IN MSN IN A FEW MINS. CREW PROCEEDED WITH 'DSCNT' AND 'FUME AND SMOKE ELIMINATION' CHKLISTS. ATC ADVISED THEY WERE DECLARING AN EMER FOR US, FO ACKNOWLEDGED. COM BTWN CREW MEMBERS WAS SLOWER THAN NORMAL AS THE FO WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING AND TALKING AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF THE OXYGEN ENTERING THE MASK WITH THE SELECTOR ON 'EMER' (SPECIFIED BY THE CHKLIST, THE CAPT MASK WAS PUT ON 'NORMAL') AND THE CAPT WAS HAVING TROUBLE REMEMBERING TO USE THE INTERPHONE SWITCH ON HIS YOKE. SOON THE ACFT WAS ON THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 36 MSN AND THE CREW ABANDONED THE 'FUME AND SMOKE ELIMINATION' CHKLISTS TO FOCUS ON THE APCH AND LNDG. THE SMOKE WAS DISSIPATING FAST AND THE FO BRIEFLY REMOVED HIS MASK TO CHK THE CABIN AIR TO SEE IF THE MASKS WERE STILL NECESSARY. THE FUMES WERE STILL PRETTY STRONG SO THE CREW KEPT THE MASKS ON FOR THE LNDG. CREW WENT THROUGH THE 'IN-RANGE' AND 'LNDG FINAL ITEMS' CHKLISTS. ON THE BASE- LEG THE CREW DISCUSSED WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO STOP AND DEPLANE THE PAX. THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE WAS NOT FOUND BY THE FLC OR MAINT PERSONNEL. I DISAGREE WITH THE CAPT'S DECISION NOT TO DECLARE AN EMER RIGHT AWAY. I ELECTED TO TELL ATC EXACTLY WHAT THE PROB WAS SO THEY WOULD PROCEED ACCORDINGLY. AFTER THE FLT I DISCUSSED MY THOUGHTS WITH THE CAPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 319146: UPON LNDG AT MSN I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO CRASH FIRE RESCUE STANDING BY. WE IMMEDIATELY TAXIED FROM THE RWY TO THE RAMP AND DEPLANED THE PAX. ALL PAX SEEMED TO BE UNHURT AND NO ASSISTANCE FOR THEM WAS NEEDED. THE TIME PERIOD FROM FIRST NOTICING THE FUMES AND SMOKE TO THE LNDG AT MADISON WAS APPROX 5-7 MINS. THE CREW HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY TRAINED ON THE USE OF THAT SPECIFIC TYPE OF OXYGEN MASK. A LARGE PORTION OF TIME AND ENERGY DURING THE EMER WAS USED BY THE CREW TRYING TO OPERATE THE MASKS AND THEN COMMUNICATE WITH THEM ON. THE ONLY THING I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY WOULD BE TO DECLARE AN EMER RIGHT AWAY AND NOT ACCEPT AN ACFT THAT HAS EQUIP (EMER) THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED ON.

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.