A piper PA31 pilot had smoke in the cabin during taxi from dca.

Attributes
ACN	450243
Time
Date	199909
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	PA-31 Navajo Chieftan/Mojave/Navajo T1020
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi technician : powerplant technician : repairman
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	450243
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While taxiing at dca, the cabin quickly filled with smoke. The heater was operating and had been used previously in the season. I pulled onto the ramp and told ground control that I thought I had a heater fire while shutting the heater off and the airplane down. The fire department responded and also determined that the source of the problem was the heater. No fire damage was evident and the smoke appeared to be the worst that occurred. I arranged for a charter plane for my 2 passenger and as an a&P, performed a visual inspection and operations check of the heater. There was evidence of a bird strike just forward of the heater air inlet on the lower right side nose of the airplane. It was clear that the heater had ingested some of the bird remains and had burned them when the heater was turned on. I performed a logbook entry reflecting that I had performed a visual and operations check of the heater and returned the aircraft to service. I then flew the airplane to ZZZ on an IFR flight plan. No problems were encountered and as a precautionary measure, the heater was torn down and inspected by our maintenance facility. They also agreed that the heater air inlet had ingested a portion of a bird.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA31 PLT HAD SMOKE IN THE CABIN DURING TAXI FROM DCA.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING AT DCA, THE CABIN QUICKLY FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE HEATER WAS OPERATING AND HAD BEEN USED PREVIOUSLY IN THE SEASON. I PULLED ONTO THE RAMP AND TOLD GND CTL THAT I THOUGHT I HAD A HEATER FIRE WHILE SHUTTING THE HEATER OFF AND THE AIRPLANE DOWN. THE FIRE DEPT RESPONDED AND ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE SOURCE OF THE PROB WAS THE HEATER. NO FIRE DAMAGE WAS EVIDENT AND THE SMOKE APPEARED TO BE THE WORST THAT OCCURRED. I ARRANGED FOR A CHARTER PLANE FOR MY 2 PAX AND AS AN A&P, PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION AND OPS CHK OF THE HEATER. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A BIRD STRIKE JUST FORWARD OF THE HEATER AIR INLET ON THE LOWER R SIDE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE HEATER HAD INGESTED SOME OF THE BIRD REMAINS AND HAD BURNED THEM WHEN THE HEATER WAS TURNED ON. I PERFORMED A LOGBOOK ENTRY REFLECTING THAT I HAD PERFORMED A VISUAL AND OPS CHK OF THE HEATER AND RETURNED THE ACFT TO SERVICE. I THEN FLEW THE AIRPLANE TO ZZZ ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. NO PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED AND AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE, THE HEATER WAS TORN DOWN AND INSPECTED BY OUR MAINT FAC. THEY ALSO AGREED THAT THE HEATER AIR INLET HAD INGESTED A PORTION OF A BIRD.

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.