PA28 pilot experiences vacuum system failure with smoke at 5500 feet; and after declaring an emergen...

Attributes
ACN	746227
Time
Date	200707
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 460 flight time type : 460
ASRS Report	746227
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Directional gyro; altitude indicator; vacuum failure; strong smell of smoke and small amount of visual smoke from instrument panel; declared emergency; turned to airport; turned off non essential electronics and ventilated cockpit. Was cleared by approach to land and handed off to tower. Landed straight in; advised tower that smoke had cleared from cockpit and was advised if able to taxi to ramp. Taxied to FBO with emergency vehicles following. Once clear of the txwys exited aircraft and checked engine compartment for any fire hazard. A mechanic checked the aircraft and determined smoke and smell came from the sheared vacuum pump. Emergency personnel on site declared emergency over. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft type was a PA28 that had flown about 150 hours since the engine had received a major overhaul. The vacuum pump was replaced at that time and the reporter believes that it must have been defective. The decision to land quickly was influenced by a recent fatal accident the reporter was familiar with; in which the decision to land was delayed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PILOT EXPERIENCES VACUUM SYSTEM FAILURE WITH SMOKE AT 5500 FEET; AND AFTER DECLARING AN EMERGENCY LANDS AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT UNEVENTFULLY.

Narrative: DIRECTIONAL GYRO; ALT INDICATOR; VACUUM FAILURE; STRONG SMELL OF SMOKE AND SMALL AMOUNT OF VISUAL SMOKE FROM INST PANEL; DECLARED EMER; TURNED TO ARPT; TURNED OFF NON ESSENTIAL ELECTRONICS AND VENTILATED COCKPIT. WAS CLRED BY APCH TO LAND AND HANDED OFF TO TWR. LANDED STRAIGHT IN; ADVISED TWR THAT SMOKE HAD CLRED FROM COCKPIT AND WAS ADVISED IF ABLE TO TAXI TO RAMP. TAXIED TO FBO WITH EMER VEHICLES FOLLOWING. ONCE CLR OF THE TXWYS EXITED ACFT AND CHKED ENG COMPARTMENT FOR ANY FIRE HAZARD. A MECH CHKED THE ACFT AND DETERMINED SMOKE AND SMELL CAME FROM THE SHEARED VACUUM PUMP. EMER PERSONNEL ON SITE DECLARED EMER OVER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT TYPE WAS A PA28 THAT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 150 HOURS SINCE THE ENGINE HAD RECEIVED A MAJOR OVERHAUL. THE VACUUM PUMP WAS REPLACED AT THAT TIME AND THE REPORTER BELIEVES THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE. THE DECISION TO LAND QUICKLY WAS INFLUENCED BY A RECENT FATAL ACCIDENT THE REPORTER WAS FAMILIAR WITH; IN WHICH THE DECISION TO LAND WAS DELAYED.

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.

PA28 pilot experiences vacuum system failure with smoke at 5500 feet; and after declaring an emergency lands at nearest suitable airport uneventfully.