Narrative:

While en route to lga from grr, we were cruising at FL290, 30 NM ssw of art, when display unit #5 (EFIS screen) went dark. A strong hot plastic type smell was noticed shortly after. No smoke was evident. A precautionary landing at art was requested and executed. This landing was done without aircraft performance information on board for this airport and runway. Length of runway was known and given through ATC (5000 ft) and determined to be sufficient. After landing and deplaning passenger in a secure area (airport terminal) aircraft's l-hand ecs pack created smoke in the cockpit and forward cabin. Maintenance determined later the display unit overheated causing the smell while airborne and the separate incident with the ecs pack happening on the ground with engines off and aircraft parked was caused by a bad ecs pack. The precautionary landing was performed because of the display failure and associated smell. The possibility of the other 4 screens going dark or smoke developing led me to believe landing was the safest course of action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DORNIER DO328 DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER 1 EFIS SCREEN WENT OUT AND A PLASTIC BURNING ODOR WAS SMELLED. AFTER SUCCESSFUL LNDG, SMOKE CAME OUT OF VENTILATION SYS DUE TO A HEAT EXCHANGER MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE TO LGA FROM GRR, WE WERE CRUISING AT FL290, 30 NM SSW OF ART, WHEN DISPLAY UNIT #5 (EFIS SCREEN) WENT DARK. A STRONG HOT PLASTIC TYPE SMELL WAS NOTICED SHORTLY AFTER. NO SMOKE WAS EVIDENT. A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT ART WAS REQUESTED AND EXECUTED. THIS LNDG WAS DONE WITHOUT ACFT PERFORMANCE INFO ON BOARD FOR THIS ARPT AND RWY. LENGTH OF RWY WAS KNOWN AND GIVEN THROUGH ATC (5000 FT) AND DETERMINED TO BE SUFFICIENT. AFTER LNDG AND DEPLANING PAX IN A SECURE AREA (ARPT TERMINAL) ACFT'S L-HAND ECS PACK CREATED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND FORWARD CABIN. MAINT DETERMINED LATER THE DISPLAY UNIT OVERHEATED CAUSING THE SMELL WHILE AIRBORNE AND THE SEPARATE INCIDENT WITH THE ECS PACK HAPPENING ON THE GND WITH ENGS OFF AND ACFT PARKED WAS CAUSED BY A BAD ECS PACK. THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS PERFORMED BECAUSE OF THE DISPLAY FAILURE AND ASSOCIATED SMELL. THE POSSIBILITY OF THE OTHER 4 SCREENS GOING DARK OR SMOKE DEVELOPING LED ME TO BELIEVE LNDG WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION.

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.