Narrative:

Departed orf on IFR flight plan. Cancelled flight plan approximately 20 mins into flight but remained with ZDC for advisories. Climbed to 15;000 ft. Due to strong winds; descended to 15;500. Several minutes after descending to 15;500 ft a strong smell was followed by smoke in the cockpit. Informed ZDC that there was smoke in the cockpit and asked for nearest airport. ZDC advised that acy was behind us. Initiated a descent to right with vectors to the airport. Wash center handed off to acy approach. Acy approach provided vectors acy and advised that runway 31 was in use. Circled over airport to lose altitude. Smoke had stopped before landing but cabin still had lingering smoke in air. Landing made with aircraft under full control. Taxied aircraft to parking. Upon inspection it was noted that co-pilot pfd had popped. Acy fire department inspected aircraft and found no source of smoke. No further flight was attempted. Aircraft was left at acy. Pilot actions were appropriate for the event. An emergency was not declared as the PIC felt that the crew; the aircraft and the system (center; approach and local controllers) were in good coordination. Source of smoke is undetermined as of this writing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE PLT OF PIPER MERIDIAN ENCOUNTERS SMOKE INFLT. DIVERTS AND LANDS AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: DEPARTED ORF ON IFR FLT PLAN. CANCELLED FLT PLAN APPROX 20 MINS INTO FLT BUT REMAINED WITH ZDC FOR ADVISORIES. CLBED TO 15;000 FT. DUE TO STRONG WINDS; DESCENDED TO 15;500. SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER DESCENDING TO 15;500 FT A STRONG SMELL WAS FOLLOWED BY SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. INFORMED ZDC THAT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND ASKED FOR NEAREST ARPT. ZDC ADVISED THAT ACY WAS BEHIND US. INITIATED A DSCNT TO RIGHT WITH VECTORS TO THE ARPT. WASH CTR HANDED OFF TO ACY APCH. ACY APPROACH PROVIDED VECTORS ACY AND ADVISED THAT RWY 31 WAS IN USE. CIRCLED OVER ARPT TO LOSE ALT. SMOKE HAD STOPPED BEFORE LNDG BUT CABIN STILL HAD LINGERING SMOKE IN AIR. LNDG MADE WITH ACFT UNDER FULL CTL. TAXIED ACFT TO PARKING. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS NOTED THAT CO-PLT PFD HAD POPPED. ACY FIRE DEPARTMENT INSPECTED ACFT AND FOUND NO SOURCE OF SMOKE. NO FURTHER FLT WAS ATTEMPTED. ACFT WAS LEFT AT ACY. PILOT ACTIONS WERE APPROPRIATE FOR THE EVENT. AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED AS THE PIC FELT THAT THE CREW; THE ACFT AND THE SYSTEM (CTR; APCH AND LCL CTLRS) WERE IN GOOD COORDINATION. SOURCE OF SMOKE IS UNDETERMINED AS OF THIS WRITING.

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.