Narrative:

While in cruise flight at FL250, I had left the cockpit to inspect the door seal on a king air 200 for leaks and integrity. Satisfied with its integrity, I then noticed the smell of an electrical short. Looking towards the cockpit, I saw grayish smoke. I returned to the cockpit and broadcast to ZTL our need to make an emergency descent and declared 'smoke in the cockpit.' I immediately turned off the cabin temperature mode switch and insured that the vent blower switch was in the 'automatic' position. These 2 actions insured that the vent blower was off. The smoke began to dissipate immediately and we told center that we had corrected our problem and wished to proceed directly to fty. We needed no further special handling. After conferring with, we decided to ferry the aircraft to replace the vent blower. Then our problems began. Apparently we had violated far part 91.213 concerning operable equipment and instruments. We had discussed that the blower was only necessary to cabin temperature control through circulation. Deciding it was not a safety of flight item, we made our decision to ferry the aircraft, we should have attempted to get a ferry permit as the aircraft did not have an MEL. Greater familiarity with FARS and aircraft documents would have kept us out of a potentially embarrassing situation. Supplemental information from acn 461648: on jan/xa/00 we departed bna in king air 200 at XA20 en route to vrb. At about XB10, cruising at FL250, we had just passed the atl VOR, we noticed smoke coming into the cockpit. We informed ZTL we needed to land as soon as possible, immediately ZTL cleared us to descend and turned us toward the atl airport. After starting our descent, we turned off the temperature control switch which also disabled the cockpit vent blower, almost immediately the smoke started to decrease. We informed ZTL our smoke problem was under control. At this time we could see atl airport and the fulton county airport, so we elected to land at fulton county airport. The chief of maintenance confirmed the vent motor had caused our smoke problem. After talking to chief of maintenance in another location, I decided I would not violate any FARS or jeopardize safety by flying the airplane empty. The airplane was flown back without the use of the temperature control switch and 1 bleed air switch, the only thing that happened in-flight is the cockpit got a little warm, we descended to 8000 ft, depressurized the aircraft, and continued on. The only thing I would have changed is I probably should have received a ferry permit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE20 CREW HAD SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT AT FL250, I HAD LEFT THE COCKPIT TO INSPECT THE DOOR SEAL ON A KING AIR 200 FOR LEAKS AND INTEGRITY. SATISFIED WITH ITS INTEGRITY, I THEN NOTICED THE SMELL OF AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. LOOKING TOWARDS THE COCKPIT, I SAW GRAYISH SMOKE. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND BROADCAST TO ZTL OUR NEED TO MAKE AN EMER DSCNT AND DECLARED 'SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT.' I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE CABIN TEMP MODE SWITCH AND INSURED THAT THE VENT BLOWER SWITCH WAS IN THE 'AUTO' POS. THESE 2 ACTIONS INSURED THAT THE VENT BLOWER WAS OFF. THE SMOKE BEGAN TO DISSIPATE IMMEDIATELY AND WE TOLD CTR THAT WE HAD CORRECTED OUR PROB AND WISHED TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO FTY. WE NEEDED NO FURTHER SPECIAL HANDLING. AFTER CONFERRING WITH, WE DECIDED TO FERRY THE ACFT TO REPLACE THE VENT BLOWER. THEN OUR PROBS BEGAN. APPARENTLY WE HAD VIOLATED FAR PART 91.213 CONCERNING OPERABLE EQUIP AND INSTS. WE HAD DISCUSSED THAT THE BLOWER WAS ONLY NECESSARY TO CABIN TEMP CTL THROUGH CIRCULATION. DECIDING IT WAS NOT A SAFETY OF FLT ITEM, WE MADE OUR DECISION TO FERRY THE ACFT, WE SHOULD HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GET A FERRY PERMIT AS THE ACFT DID NOT HAVE AN MEL. GREATER FAMILIARITY WITH FARS AND ACFT DOCUMENTS WOULD HAVE KEPT US OUT OF A POTENTIALLY EMBARRASSING SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 461648: ON JAN/XA/00 WE DEPARTED BNA IN KING AIR 200 AT XA20 ENRTE TO VRB. AT ABOUT XB10, CRUISING AT FL250, WE HAD JUST PASSED THE ATL VOR, WE NOTICED SMOKE COMING INTO THE COCKPIT. WE INFORMED ZTL WE NEEDED TO LAND ASAP, IMMEDIATELY ZTL CLRED US TO DSND AND TURNED US TOWARD THE ATL ARPT. AFTER STARTING OUR DSCNT, WE TURNED OFF THE TEMP CTL SWITCH WHICH ALSO DISABLED THE COCKPIT VENT BLOWER, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE SMOKE STARTED TO DECREASE. WE INFORMED ZTL OUR SMOKE PROB WAS UNDER CTL. AT THIS TIME WE COULD SEE ATL ARPT AND THE FULTON COUNTY ARPT, SO WE ELECTED TO LAND AT FULTON COUNTY ARPT. THE CHIEF OF MAINT CONFIRMED THE VENT MOTOR HAD CAUSED OUR SMOKE PROB. AFTER TALKING TO CHIEF OF MAINT IN ANOTHER LOCATION, I DECIDED I WOULD NOT VIOLATE ANY FARS OR JEOPARDIZE SAFETY BY FLYING THE AIRPLANE EMPTY. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN BACK WITHOUT THE USE OF THE TEMP CTL SWITCH AND 1 BLEED AIR SWITCH, THE ONLY THING THAT HAPPENED INFLT IS THE COCKPIT GOT A LITTLE WARM, WE DSNDED TO 8000 FT, DEPRESSURIZED THE ACFT, AND CONTINUED ON. THE ONLY THING I WOULD HAVE CHANGED IS I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A FERRY PERMIT.

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.