Saab 340 autoplt automatic disengaged followed by smoke in cockpit and emergency landing at msp.

Attributes
ACN	449991
Time
Date	199909
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp.airport
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : m98.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : vacating altitude descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors arrival star : gopher 3
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	449991
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 5300 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	449990
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : 930 other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

8000 ft right downwind for runway 30R msp. First officer PF on gopher 3 arrival, heading 120 degrees. Autoplt disengaged by itself. First officer took control manually. Autoplt chime would not reset. Smoke filled cockpit. Could not ascertain where it came from. The smoke did not reduce visibility substantially inside or outside of the cockpit. First officer called for smoke in cockpit emergency checklist. Captain donned oxygen mask. First officer declared emergency. First officer xferred controls to captain. First officer donned oxygen mask. First officer established radio communication with mask on. First officer relayed emergency information to msp approach control. ATC cleared aircraft for a visual approach to runway 30R. First officer contacted msp tower, declared emergency and asked for crash fire rescue equipment. Uneventful landing. Smoke cleared on short final. Crash fire rescue equipment followed us as we cleared the runway, smoke was clearing. Taxied to gate (approximately 2000 ft from where we cleared the runway). Uneventful shutdown. All checklists were completed. No injuries or smoke noticed by cabin flight attendant. Autoplt disconnect chime continued until shutdown. After shutdown found circuit breaker popped.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAAB 340 AUTOPLT AUTO DISENGAGED FOLLOWED BY SMOKE IN COCKPIT AND EMER LNDG AT MSP.

Narrative: 8000 FT R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30R MSP. FO PF ON GOPHER 3 ARR, HDG 120 DEGS. AUTOPLT DISENGAGED BY ITSELF. FO TOOK CTL MANUALLY. AUTOPLT CHIME WOULD NOT RESET. SMOKE FILLED COCKPIT. COULD NOT ASCERTAIN WHERE IT CAME FROM. THE SMOKE DID NOT REDUCE VISIBILITY SUBSTANTIALLY INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE COCKPIT. FO CALLED FOR SMOKE IN COCKPIT EMER CHKLIST. CAPT DONNED OXYGEN MASK. FO DECLARED EMER. FO XFERRED CTLS TO CAPT. FO DONNED OXYGEN MASK. FO ESTABLISHED RADIO COM WITH MASK ON. FO RELAYED EMER INFO TO MSP APCH CTL. ATC CLRED ACFT FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 30R. FO CONTACTED MSP TWR, DECLARED EMER AND ASKED FOR CFR. UNEVENTFUL LNDG. SMOKE CLRED ON SHORT FINAL. CFR FOLLOWED US AS WE CLRED THE RWY, SMOKE WAS CLRING. TAXIED TO GATE (APPROX 2000 FT FROM WHERE WE CLRED THE RWY). UNEVENTFUL SHUTDOWN. ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED. NO INJURIES OR SMOKE NOTICED BY CABIN FLT ATTENDANT. AUTOPLT DISCONNECT CHIME CONTINUED UNTIL SHUTDOWN. AFTER SHUTDOWN FOUND CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED.

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.