Narrative:

Dual flight practicing commercial ground reference maneuvers. Level at 1000 ft AGL parallel to a road we observed: 1) rapid increase in cabin temperature, and 2) visible white smoke on forward right side of cabin. Decision to execute a precautionary landing was made, based upon the above two factors. Brief radio call with position was made and landing gear deployed, then master switch was turned off. Storm window was opened, all electrical equipment was turned off. Landing was executed on dirt road (20 ft wide, gravel) with no flaps and aircraft was stopped with no damage or injury. We then contacted our dispatch via 911 (from cell phone) relay. 2 problems were evident: 1) there was no survival pack in the aircraft. The school claims the bonanza's need no survival because they only do local flts. We had no food, water, or flares which produced many dangerous sits. Occasional vehicles passing along the road nearly hit the aircraft because we had no flares. Lack of survival packs could have been fatal had we not been rescued the same day. 2) no remote way to activate the ELT. We had no way to signal other aircraft or alert anyone of our precise position. The aircraft needs an internal trigger on the panel, as well as an external trigger on the body of the airplane. These 2 items could have mitigated all of the post landing threats. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the maintenance department found a shorted electrical wire. Aircraft was a beech 33C and was used for local commercial maneuvers only so that it did not have an ELT installed for local training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH 33C PLT SCHOOL TRAINER DEVELOPED WHITE SMOKE IN CABIN RESULTING IN THE INSTRUCTOR AND COMMERCIAL STUDENT TO MAKE AN OFF ARPT PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A DIRT ROAD IN THE MOUNTAINOUS DESERT AREA.

Narrative: DUAL FLT PRACTICING COMMERCIAL GND REF MANEUVERS. LEVEL AT 1000 FT AGL PARALLEL TO A ROAD WE OBSERVED: 1) RAPID INCREASE IN CABIN TEMP, AND 2) VISIBLE WHITE SMOKE ON FORWARD R SIDE OF CABIN. DECISION TO EXECUTE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS MADE, BASED UPON THE ABOVE TWO FACTORS. BRIEF RADIO CALL WITH POS WAS MADE AND LNDG GEAR DEPLOYED, THEN MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. STORM WINDOW WAS OPENED, ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIP WAS TURNED OFF. LNDG WAS EXECUTED ON DIRT ROAD (20 FT WIDE, GRAVEL) WITH NO FLAPS AND ACFT WAS STOPPED WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURY. WE THEN CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH VIA 911 (FROM CELL PHONE) RELAY. 2 PROBS WERE EVIDENT: 1) THERE WAS NO SURVIVAL PACK IN THE ACFT. THE SCHOOL CLAIMS THE BONANZA'S NEED NO SURVIVAL BECAUSE THEY ONLY DO LCL FLTS. WE HAD NO FOOD, WATER, OR FLARES WHICH PRODUCED MANY DANGEROUS SITS. OCCASIONAL VEHICLES PASSING ALONG THE ROAD NEARLY HIT THE ACFT BECAUSE WE HAD NO FLARES. LACK OF SURVIVAL PACKS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL HAD WE NOT BEEN RESCUED THE SAME DAY. 2) NO REMOTE WAY TO ACTIVATE THE ELT. WE HAD NO WAY TO SIGNAL OTHER ACFT OR ALERT ANYONE OF OUR PRECISE POS. THE ACFT NEEDS AN INTERNAL TRIGGER ON THE PANEL, AS WELL AS AN EXTERNAL TRIGGER ON THE BODY OF THE AIRPLANE. THESE 2 ITEMS COULD HAVE MITIGATED ALL OF THE POST LNDG THREATS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE MAINT DEPT FOUND A SHORTED ELECTRICAL WIRE. ACFT WAS A BEECH 33C AND WAS USED FOR LCL COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS ONLY SO THAT IT DID NOT HAVE AN ELT INSTALLED FOR LCL TRAINING.

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.