Narrative:

I had just been handed off to ZFW and was level at 8000 ft. Suddenly the flight deck started to develop smoke with a strong hydraulic smell. I then realized the source was coming from hydraulic fluid spewing from around the hydraulic visual sight glass in the center pedestal. The fumes were getting worse and I was concerned about the smoke and the source of the smoke. I informed center about the problem and asked for the nearest airport. They told me the nearest airport was at 10 miles and 4 mins. I asked and received a heading of 050 degrees and turned to that heading. I immediately cycled the gear handle to the down position. The gear came down and locked with green lights. I started a descent on the 050 degree heading. ZFW cleared me to 3700 ft altitude. I descended as fast as possible to that altitude but went through it on descent as the smoke on the flight deck was getting worse and hot hydraulic fluid was spraying on my right leg. My concern at that moment was getting the aircraft on the ground safely as quickly as possible. By this time I had the airport in sight. I informed center of this and they asked if I wanted to cancel IFR. I told them to cancel my IFR and I continued to a quick landing. ZFW never called out any conflicting traffic during the descent. There were no injuries or damage except to the hydraulic problem itself. At this point we are not sure what caused the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 SUFFERED HYD FAILURE. LANDS AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: I HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OFF TO ZFW AND WAS LEVEL AT 8000 FT. SUDDENLY THE FLT DECK STARTED TO DEVELOP SMOKE WITH A STRONG HYD SMELL. I THEN REALIZED THE SOURCE WAS COMING FROM HYD FLUID SPEWING FROM AROUND THE HYD VISUAL SIGHT GLASS IN THE CENTER PEDESTAL. THE FUMES WERE GETTING WORSE AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SMOKE AND THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE. I INFORMED CTR ABOUT THE PROB AND ASKED FOR THE NEAREST ARPT. THEY TOLD ME THE NEAREST ARPT WAS AT 10 MILES AND 4 MINS. I ASKED AND RECEIVED A HDG OF 050 DEGS AND TURNED TO THAT HDG. I IMMEDIATELY CYCLED THE GEAR HANDLE TO THE DOWN POSITION. THE GEAR CAME DOWN AND LOCKED WITH GREEN LIGHTS. I STARTED A DSCNT ON THE 050 DEG HDG. ZFW CLRED ME TO 3700 FT ALT. I DSNDED AS FAST AS POSSIBLE TO THAT ALT BUT WENT THROUGH IT ON DSCNT AS THE SMOKE ON THE FLT DECK WAS GETTING WORSE AND HOT HYD FLUID WAS SPRAYING ON MY RIGHT LEG. MY CONCERN AT THAT MOMENT WAS GETTING THE ACFT ON THE GND SAFELY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BY THIS TIME I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I INFORMED CTR OF THIS AND THEY ASKED IF I WANTED TO CANCEL IFR. I TOLD THEM TO CANCEL MY IFR AND I CONTINUED TO A QUICK LNDG. ZFW NEVER CALLED OUT ANY CONFLICTING TFC DURING THE DSCNT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE EXCEPT TO THE HYD PROB ITSELF. AT THIS POINT WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT CAUSED THE PROB.

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.