Aircraft equipment problem. Inverter failure caused smoke in aircraft. Emergency.

Attributes
ACN	341558
Time
Date	199607
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cou
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Convair 640
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zkc
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 5600 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	341558
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5400 flight time type : 310
ASRS Report	341559
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We noticed smoke in the cockpit. Captain maintained control of aircraft and we both put on oxygen mask. An emergency was declared. After 2 mins or so the smoke started to dissipate. After another couple of mins it started back up, this time more intense. We had no indication of a fire. The captain asked for vectors to the nearest airport, I started looking at checklist. At this time the captain's microphone in oxygen mask quit so we had a hard time communicating. Since we were so close to land we did not finish the emergency checklist. We concentrated on maintaining control and landing the aircraft. It was later found that an inverter had gone bad and produced smoke while it was running hot. In hindsight, I think we were too slow starting the emergency checklist. We had time to perform it if we had started right away. But, I also think that we did good on maintaining control and finding an airport that was suitable and we landed the aircraft safely. Supplemental information from acn 341559: because of having no flap indication and seeing no hydraulic fluid, I used the emergency air brake system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. INVERTER FAILURE CAUSED SMOKE IN ACFT. EMER.

Narrative: WE NOTICED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. CAPT MAINTAINED CTL OF ACFT AND WE BOTH PUT ON OXYGEN MASK. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. AFTER 2 MINS OR SO THE SMOKE STARTED TO DISSIPATE. AFTER ANOTHER COUPLE OF MINS IT STARTED BACK UP, THIS TIME MORE INTENSE. WE HAD NO INDICATION OF A FIRE. THE CAPT ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT, I STARTED LOOKING AT CHKLIST. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT'S MIKE IN OXYGEN MASK QUIT SO WE HAD A HARD TIME COMMUNICATING. SINCE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO LAND WE DID NOT FINISH THE EMER CHKLIST. WE CONCENTRATED ON MAINTAINING CTL AND LNDG THE ACFT. IT WAS LATER FOUND THAT AN INVERTER HAD GONE BAD AND PRODUCED SMOKE WHILE IT WAS RUNNING HOT. IN HINDSIGHT, I THINK WE WERE TOO SLOW STARTING THE EMER CHKLIST. WE HAD TIME TO PERFORM IT IF WE HAD STARTED RIGHT AWAY. BUT, I ALSO THINK THAT WE DID GOOD ON MAINTAINING CTL AND FINDING AN ARPT THAT WAS SUITABLE AND WE LANDED THE ACFT SAFELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 341559: BECAUSE OF HAVING NO FLAP INDICATION AND SEEING NO HYD FLUID, I USED THE EMER AIR BRAKE SYS.

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.