Narrative:

We departed teb. Upon arriving at FL340; we cruised for approximately 20 mins and asked ZNY for a climb to FL360. Once we were cleared to FL360; we began our climb at 700 FPM. While climbing; we noticed a distinct oil smell coming through the air vents. As we started to investigate the situation; we noticed a slight hazy layer of smoke accumulating throughout the cockpit which smelled like burnt oil. At that time; we were at FL353 and asked ATC for an immediate descent due to smoke in the cockpit. We immediately donned our oxygen masks and were cleared to FL260. Upon reducing from climb power to descent power; the smoke quickly dissipated from the cockpit. As we were descending to FL260; ATC asked what our intentions were and we asked him which airports were near us with at least 6000 ft of runway. After we discussed that 6000 ft was more than a sufficient amount of runway; ATC advised us that pit was approximately 80 mi west of our position with more than 10000 ft of runway. We advised ATC that we would like to divert to pit. ATC then asked us for souls on board and fuel on board. We replied 9 souls and 5 hours of fuel. Then we advised ATC that the smoke in the cockpit was no longer visible and we were not in an emergency situation. ATC still gave us priority directly to the airport. We were then cleared to keep our descent for the airport and to expect to land on runway 28L. After descending through a thin overcast layer; at approximately 5000 ft and 20 mi; we had the airport in sight and approach control cleared us for visual approach to runway 28L. We then contacted the tower and were cleared to land runway 28L. The tower advised us that the emergency vehicles were standing by. We advised the tower that we were not in an emergency situation and we did not have smoke in the cockpit. He replied that he would let the emergency vehicles know of our current situation. I feel that we; the crew; performed perfectly in this situation and used exemplary judgement in a time-sensitive situation. The incident was not caused by pilot error; but was a mechanical failure of a seal within the turbine engine that leaked oil into the pressurization system and caused smoke. ATC did a great job of assisting us; and I believe that everyone involved in the situation performed at their highest level of professionalism.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL60 IN CRUISE NOTICED A HAZY LAYER OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE AIR VENTS. THEY DIVERTED TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED TEB. UPON ARRIVING AT FL340; WE CRUISED FOR APPROX 20 MINS AND ASKED ZNY FOR A CLB TO FL360. ONCE WE WERE CLRED TO FL360; WE BEGAN OUR CLB AT 700 FPM. WHILE CLBING; WE NOTICED A DISTINCT OIL SMELL COMING THROUGH THE AIR VENTS. AS WE STARTED TO INVESTIGATE THE SIT; WE NOTICED A SLIGHT HAZY LAYER OF SMOKE ACCUMULATING THROUGHOUT THE COCKPIT WHICH SMELLED LIKE BURNT OIL. AT THAT TIME; WE WERE AT FL353 AND ASKED ATC FOR AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. WE IMMEDIATELY DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND WERE CLRED TO FL260. UPON REDUCING FROM CLB PWR TO DSCNT PWR; THE SMOKE QUICKLY DISSIPATED FROM THE COCKPIT. AS WE WERE DSNDING TO FL260; ATC ASKED WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE AND WE ASKED HIM WHICH ARPTS WERE NEAR US WITH AT LEAST 6000 FT OF RWY. AFTER WE DISCUSSED THAT 6000 FT WAS MORE THAN A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF RWY; ATC ADVISED US THAT PIT WAS APPROX 80 MI W OF OUR POS WITH MORE THAN 10000 FT OF RWY. WE ADVISED ATC THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DIVERT TO PIT. ATC THEN ASKED US FOR SOULS ON BOARD AND FUEL ON BOARD. WE REPLIED 9 SOULS AND 5 HRS OF FUEL. THEN WE ADVISED ATC THAT THE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT WAS NO LONGER VISIBLE AND WE WERE NOT IN AN EMER SIT. ATC STILL GAVE US PRIORITY DIRECTLY TO THE ARPT. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO KEEP OUR DSCNT FOR THE ARPT AND TO EXPECT TO LAND ON RWY 28L. AFTER DSNDING THROUGH A THIN OVCST LAYER; AT APPROX 5000 FT AND 20 MI; WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND APCH CTL CLRED US FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28L. WE THEN CONTACTED THE TWR AND WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 28L. THE TWR ADVISED US THAT THE EMER VEHICLES WERE STANDING BY. WE ADVISED THE TWR THAT WE WERE NOT IN AN EMER SIT AND WE DID NOT HAVE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. HE REPLIED THAT HE WOULD LET THE EMER VEHICLES KNOW OF OUR CURRENT SIT. I FEEL THAT WE; THE CREW; PERFORMED PERFECTLY IN THIS SIT AND USED EXEMPLARY JUDGEMENT IN A TIME-SENSITIVE SIT. THE INCIDENT WAS NOT CAUSED BY PLT ERROR; BUT WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE OF A SEAL WITHIN THE TURBINE ENG THAT LEAKED OIL INTO THE PRESSURIZATION SYS AND CAUSED SMOKE. ATC DID A GREAT JOB OF ASSISTING US; AND I BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE SIT PERFORMED AT THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.