Spilling liquid on HF radio causes smoke and burning smell crew declares emergency and descends to lower altitude on overwater flight. Coordination with ATC through other aircraft on VHF results in clrncs to diversion airport.

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Attributes
ACN	445215
Time
Date	199907
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : louis
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Learjet 36
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 1998 flight time type : 13
ASRS Report	445215
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

At approximately 1 1/2 hours after departure from pie 45 NM past louis intersection we experienced HF radio malfunction. Visible smoke along with electrical burning smell was also noticed. All system were shut down and emergency checklist was completed. We could not contact new york control, so we turned 180 degrees and descended. The smoke/burning was no longer a factor. We hailed an aircraft on VHF as we approached the coast of florida who relayed our situation, at which point the captain declared an emergency and was given the closest airport for landing. I believe the electrical smoke was possibly caused by the captain's accidentally spilling coffee on himself with some liquid landing on the radio stack, although there seemed to be no spillage visible at the time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPILLING LIQUID ON HF RADIO CAUSES SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL CREW DECLARES EMER AND DSNDS TO LOWER ALT ON OVERWATER FLT. COORD WITH ATC THROUGH OTHER ACFT ON VHF RESULTS IN CLRNCS TO DIVERSION ARPT.

Narrative: AT APPROX 1 1/2 HRS AFTER DEP FROM PIE 45 NM PAST LOUIS INTXN WE EXPERIENCED HF RADIO MALFUNCTION. VISIBLE SMOKE ALONG WITH ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WAS ALSO NOTICED. ALL SYS WERE SHUT DOWN AND EMER CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. WE COULD NOT CONTACT NEW YORK CTL, SO WE TURNED 180 DEGS AND DSNDED. THE SMOKE/BURNING WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR. WE HAILED AN ACFT ON VHF AS WE APCHED THE COAST OF FLORIDA WHO RELAYED OUR SIT, AT WHICH POINT THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS GIVEN THE CLOSEST ARPT FOR LNDG. I BELIEVE THE ELECTRICAL SMOKE WAS POSSIBLY CAUSED BY THE CAPT'S ACCIDENTALLY SPILLING COFFEE ON HIMSELF WITH SOME LIQUID LNDG ON THE RADIO STACK, ALTHOUGH THERE SEEMED TO BE NO SPILLAGE VISIBLE AT THE TIME.

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.