Narrative:

On nov/xa/98 around XX00, sanford tower, fl, cleared my plane (PA28-140) to depart runway 9L. Immediately after takeoff, reaching about 300 ft, heat and smoke started to enter the cockpit. After reaching 500 ft, I decided to turn around and go back to the airport -- approximately 1 mi. I contacted the tower and let them know of the situation and declared emergency. The tower then asked me of my intentions and I replied I was going to land on runway 18 (technically closed for repairs). After landing and checking the airplane thoroughly with the help of the firemen and airport safety personnel, we concluded the reason was that 3 days earlier I cleaned the engine with chemical degreasers and residue from them started evaporating from the motor heat, apparently creating the smoke. All gauges, hoses, drainers, oil level, and visual inspection was thoroughly performed with no indication of any further problem. I need to make a note that my wife was accompanying me and she was extremely upset from the beginning of the incident. About 30 mins after I decided to take off again for my destination about 150 mi away. After taking off the second time, climbing to pattern altitude of 1000 ft, turning right downwind runway 9C, following another 2 airplanes until eventually clear for southwest heading, we started experiencing extreme heat again in the cockpit. I need to make a note that the outside temperature at this time in central florida was close to 90 degrees. At this time my wife had a panic attack becoming frantic. For this reason, I decided to land as soon as practicable, not knowing neither where the heat was coming from (at this time no smoke was noted in the cockpit) being parallel to runway 36 (remember, was closed) and to trying to avoid keeping the airplane extra mins in the air and flying over a populated area with many planes parked on the west side of the airport. I called the tower declaring a new emergency and let them know that I was landing at runway 36. Once on the ground and checking thoroughly the plane again, I realized that the heat was entering the cockpit due to a malfunction of the cabin heat mechanism, causing it to stick open allowing the heat from the exhaust system to enter the plane. The main reason I declared an emergency the second time was the state of panic of my wife.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON CLBOUT, PA28 PLT HAD SMOKE AND HEAT IN COCKPIT. DECLARED EMER ON 2 TKOFS.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/98 AROUND XX00, SANFORD TWR, FL, CLRED MY PLANE (PA28-140) TO DEPART RWY 9L. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, REACHING ABOUT 300 FT, HEAT AND SMOKE STARTED TO ENTER THE COCKPIT. AFTER REACHING 500 FT, I DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK TO THE ARPT -- APPROX 1 MI. I CONTACTED THE TWR AND LET THEM KNOW OF THE SIT AND DECLARED EMER. THE TWR THEN ASKED ME OF MY INTENTIONS AND I REPLIED I WAS GOING TO LAND ON RWY 18 (TECHNICALLY CLOSED FOR REPAIRS). AFTER LNDG AND CHKING THE AIRPLANE THOROUGHLY WITH THE HELP OF THE FIREMEN AND ARPT SAFETY PERSONNEL, WE CONCLUDED THE REASON WAS THAT 3 DAYS EARLIER I CLEANED THE ENG WITH CHEMICAL DEGREASERS AND RESIDUE FROM THEM STARTED EVAPORATING FROM THE MOTOR HEAT, APPARENTLY CREATING THE SMOKE. ALL GAUGES, HOSES, DRAINERS, OIL LEVEL, AND VISUAL INSPECTION WAS THOROUGHLY PERFORMED WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY FURTHER PROB. I NEED TO MAKE A NOTE THAT MY WIFE WAS ACCOMPANYING ME AND SHE WAS EXTREMELY UPSET FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE INCIDENT. ABOUT 30 MINS AFTER I DECIDED TO TAKE OFF AGAIN FOR MY DEST ABOUT 150 MI AWAY. AFTER TAKING OFF THE SECOND TIME, CLBING TO PATTERN ALT OF 1000 FT, TURNING R DOWNWIND RWY 9C, FOLLOWING ANOTHER 2 AIRPLANES UNTIL EVENTUALLY CLR FOR SW HDG, WE STARTED EXPERIENCING EXTREME HEAT AGAIN IN THE COCKPIT. I NEED TO MAKE A NOTE THAT THE OUTSIDE TEMP AT THIS TIME IN CENTRAL FLORIDA WAS CLOSE TO 90 DEGS. AT THIS TIME MY WIFE HAD A PANIC ATTACK BECOMING FRANTIC. FOR THIS REASON, I DECIDED TO LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE, NOT KNOWING NEITHER WHERE THE HEAT WAS COMING FROM (AT THIS TIME NO SMOKE WAS NOTED IN THE COCKPIT) BEING PARALLEL TO RWY 36 (REMEMBER, WAS CLOSED) AND TO TRYING TO AVOID KEEPING THE AIRPLANE EXTRA MINS IN THE AIR AND FLYING OVER A POPULATED AREA WITH MANY PLANES PARKED ON THE W SIDE OF THE ARPT. I CALLED THE TWR DECLARING A NEW EMER AND LET THEM KNOW THAT I WAS LNDG AT RWY 36. ONCE ON THE GND AND CHKING THOROUGHLY THE PLANE AGAIN, I REALIZED THAT THE HEAT WAS ENTERING THE COCKPIT DUE TO A MALFUNCTION OF THE CABIN HEAT MECHANISM, CAUSING IT TO STICK OPEN ALLOWING THE HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST SYS TO ENTER THE PLANE. THE MAIN REASON I DECLARED AN EMER THE SECOND TIME WAS THE STATE OF PANIC OF MY WIFE.

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.