Narrative:

Just after retracting the landing gear and being xferred over to departure, a passenger observed thick white smoke coming from the right side of the center console of the aircraft. I switched frequencys to peachtree tower and declared an emergency and stated my intention to land on the nearest suitable runway, runway 16. All non essential electrical system were turned off and the gear and flaps extended manually. After ensuring aircraft was in a safe confign for landing, smoke was beginning to diminish and we rolled out near taxiway east. I changed to ground frequency, announced an intention to go to the northwest ramp and evacuated the airplane. My passenger exited, I shut down the remaining electrical components, ignition and fuel and exited the aircraft where it came to a stop on taxiway B, near the northwest ramp. The dekalb fire department responded and we ensured the electrical and fuel system of the aircraft were shut down, then proceeded to open inspection panels to ensure no fire was present. After securing the aircraft, I gave my name, phone number, address and other identing information to the dekalb county official. I reentered the airplane to double-check that the parking brake was released so the aircraft could be relocated. A woman approached me and without identing herself, demanded that I give her my pilot's license. I declined and said that I needed to use the phone to call the FAA representatives in the control tower, that I had just declared an emergency. She allowed me to proceed, but said she was calling a police officer, or a supervisor. I said that was fine. FBO employees relocated the airplane and I was following it across the northwest ramp to secure it. I continued until a woman grabbed me and said she had been calling my name. This lady was a police officer, who was grabbing me and grabbing at my arms. I stopped and faced her. She said she had called me, but I had not heard her on the open airport ramp. She said it was her intention to arrest me. I was cuffed and taken to a patrol car. I said nothing and cooperated with the police. I was released on $200 bail for violation of georgia code section 16-10-25, giving a false name. Subsequent investigation of the aircraft revealed that a mechanic had recently replaced a heater hose, which made contact with the aircraft's exhaust, creating smoke which was directed into the aircraft's ventilation system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M20P DEPARTING PDK ENCOUNTERS INFLT SMOKE AND OR FIRE. DECLARES EMER, LANDS AT PDK, EVACUATES ACFT AND IS ARRESTED.

Narrative: JUST AFTER RETRACTING THE LNDG GEAR AND BEING XFERRED OVER TO DEP, A PAX OBSERVED THICK WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE R SIDE OF THE CTR CONSOLE OF THE ACFT. I SWITCHED FREQS TO PEACHTREE TWR AND DECLARED AN EMER AND STATED MY INTENTION TO LAND ON THE NEAREST SUITABLE RWY, RWY 16. ALL NON ESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL SYS WERE TURNED OFF AND THE GEAR AND FLAPS EXTENDED MANUALLY. AFTER ENSURING ACFT WAS IN A SAFE CONFIGN FOR LNDG, SMOKE WAS BEGINNING TO DIMINISH AND WE ROLLED OUT NEAR TXWY E. I CHANGED TO GND FREQ, ANNOUNCED AN INTENTION TO GO TO THE NW RAMP AND EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE. MY PAX EXITED, I SHUT DOWN THE REMAINING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, IGNITION AND FUEL AND EXITED THE ACFT WHERE IT CAME TO A STOP ON TXWY B, NEAR THE NW RAMP. THE DEKALB FIRE DEPT RESPONDED AND WE ENSURED THE ELECTRICAL AND FUEL SYS OF THE ACFT WERE SHUT DOWN, THEN PROCEEDED TO OPEN INSPECTION PANELS TO ENSURE NO FIRE WAS PRESENT. AFTER SECURING THE ACFT, I GAVE MY NAME, PHONE NUMBER, ADDRESS AND OTHER IDENTING INFO TO THE DEKALB COUNTY OFFICIAL. I REENTERED THE AIRPLANE TO DOUBLE-CHK THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS RELEASED SO THE ACFT COULD BE RELOCATED. A WOMAN APCHED ME AND WITHOUT IDENTING HERSELF, DEMANDED THAT I GIVE HER MY PLT'S LICENSE. I DECLINED AND SAID THAT I NEEDED TO USE THE PHONE TO CALL THE FAA REPRESENTATIVES IN THE CTL TWR, THAT I HAD JUST DECLARED AN EMER. SHE ALLOWED ME TO PROCEED, BUT SAID SHE WAS CALLING A POLICE OFFICER, OR A SUPVR. I SAID THAT WAS FINE. FBO EMPLOYEES RELOCATED THE AIRPLANE AND I WAS FOLLOWING IT ACROSS THE NW RAMP TO SECURE IT. I CONTINUED UNTIL A WOMAN GRABBED ME AND SAID SHE HAD BEEN CALLING MY NAME. THIS LADY WAS A POLICE OFFICER, WHO WAS GRABBING ME AND GRABBING AT MY ARMS. I STOPPED AND FACED HER. SHE SAID SHE HAD CALLED ME, BUT I HAD NOT HEARD HER ON THE OPEN ARPT RAMP. SHE SAID IT WAS HER INTENTION TO ARREST ME. I WAS CUFFED AND TAKEN TO A PATROL CAR. I SAID NOTHING AND COOPERATED WITH THE POLICE. I WAS RELEASED ON $200 BAIL FOR VIOLATION OF GEORGIA CODE SECTION 16-10-25, GIVING A FALSE NAME. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT A MECH HAD RECENTLY REPLACED A HEATER HOSE, WHICH MADE CONTACT WITH THE ACFT'S EXHAUST, CREATING SMOKE WHICH WAS DIRECTED INTO THE ACFT'S VENTILATION SYS.

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.