Narrative:

Cockpit fire and smoke. On the descent into lansing the first officer said he smelled smoke or plastic burning. I confirmed the smell and we began to discuss the situation. We further noticed the smell increasing especially out of the overhead gasper fans. Smoke began to rise out of the bottom left corner of the first officer's windscreen. I told the first officer to don his mask while I did the same. I then confirmed the crew oxygen was on and pulled the cabin oxygen knob which deployed the passenger masks. I then turned off the avionics master and the battery to attempt to eliminate the smoke. The smoke continued to rise from the point of origin and I turned the battery and the avionics master back on. Immediately we heard ATC ask if we had heard his radio and I responded flight has smoke in the cockpit and declared an emergency. We gave souls on board and requested immediate and direct vectors to the airport. At this point I visually confirmed that the passenger had donned their masks and I made a brief announcement that they should put their masks on. We were receiving vectors and a descent and I requested the QRH. The first officer began the QRH and then said he needed the cockpit fire extinguisher to douse the small 6 inch flame that had erupted. Due to the fire extinguisher location, under the first officer's seat, I transferred aircraft control to the first officer and removed the extinguisher. I then took back control of the aircraft and the first officer extinguished the fire with 3 small blasts from the halon fire extinguisher. There was light smoke in both the cockpit and the cabin. The cockpit door was already open. During this time ATC was bringing us directly to the airport and descending us to 1300 ft MSL. With the fire extinguished and quickly approaching the airport I asked the first officer to notify the passenger that we had the fire extinguished and would be landing shortly with no further complications. We came out of the clouds about 2 mi from the end of runway 6 and completed a landing checklist. We quickly maneuvered to land on runway 10R and landed with no further complications. On the rollout we announced to the passenger to remain seated and that we would be taxiing to the gate. We notified tower that we would need no further assistance and completed our after landing, and after we stopped, our parking terminating checklist. The passenger deplaned normally with no injuries and no smoke inhalation to the crew or passenger.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE02 CREW EXPERIENCES SMOKE AND FIRE IN COCKPIT WHILE IN DSCNT. EMER DECLARED. NO PROBS RESULTED FROM INCIDENT.

Narrative: COCKPIT FIRE AND SMOKE. ON THE DSCNT INTO LANSING THE FO SAID HE SMELLED SMOKE OR PLASTIC BURNING. I CONFIRMED THE SMELL AND WE BEGAN TO DISCUSS THE SIT. WE FURTHER NOTICED THE SMELL INCREASING ESPECIALLY OUT OF THE OVERHEAD GASPER FANS. SMOKE BEGAN TO RISE OUT OF THE BOTTOM L CORNER OF THE FO'S WINDSCREEN. I TOLD THE FO TO DON HIS MASK WHILE I DID THE SAME. I THEN CONFIRMED THE CREW OXYGEN WAS ON AND PULLED THE CABIN OXYGEN KNOB WHICH DEPLOYED THE PAX MASKS. I THEN TURNED OFF THE AVIONICS MASTER AND THE BATTERY TO ATTEMPT TO ELIMINATE THE SMOKE. THE SMOKE CONTINUED TO RISE FROM THE POINT OF ORIGIN AND I TURNED THE BATTERY AND THE AVIONICS MASTER BACK ON. IMMEDIATELY WE HEARD ATC ASK IF WE HAD HEARD HIS RADIO AND I RESPONDED FLT HAS SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND DECLARED AN EMER. WE GAVE SOULS ON BOARD AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE AND DIRECT VECTORS TO THE ARPT. AT THIS POINT I VISUALLY CONFIRMED THAT THE PAX HAD DONNED THEIR MASKS AND I MADE A BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY SHOULD PUT THEIR MASKS ON. WE WERE RECEIVING VECTORS AND A DSCNT AND I REQUESTED THE QRH. THE FO BEGAN THE QRH AND THEN SAID HE NEEDED THE COCKPIT FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO DOUSE THE SMALL 6 INCH FLAME THAT HAD ERUPTED. DUE TO THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER LOCATION, UNDER THE FO'S SEAT, I TRANSFERRED ACFT CTL TO THE FO AND REMOVED THE EXTINGUISHER. I THEN TOOK BACK CTL OF THE ACFT AND THE FO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITH 3 SMALL BLASTS FROM THE HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THERE WAS LIGHT SMOKE IN BOTH THE COCKPIT AND THE CABIN. THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS ALREADY OPEN. DURING THIS TIME ATC WAS BRINGING US DIRECTLY TO THE ARPT AND DSNDING US TO 1300 FT MSL. WITH THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED AND QUICKLY APCHING THE ARPT I ASKED THE FO TO NOTIFY THE PAX THAT WE HAD THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED AND WOULD BE LNDG SHORTLY WITH NO FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. WE CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE END OF RWY 6 AND COMPLETED A LNDG CHKLIST. WE QUICKLY MANEUVERED TO LAND ON RWY 10R AND LANDED WITH NO FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. ON THE ROLLOUT WE ANNOUNCED TO THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED AND THAT WE WOULD BE TAXIING TO THE GATE. WE NOTIFIED TWR THAT WE WOULD NEED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE AND COMPLETED OUR AFTER LNDG, AND AFTER WE STOPPED, OUR PARKING TERMINATING CHKLIST. THE PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY WITH NO INJURIES AND NO SMOKE INHALATION TO THE CREW OR PAX.

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.