Corporate jet flight crew reports smoke in cabin/cockpit at FL360. During emergency descent EFIS dis...

Attributes
ACN	758708
Time
Date	200710
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 36000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Fog Rain Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : charter
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : charter
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 16500 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	758708
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

En route at FL360; cabin/cockpit filled with smoke and visibility dropped to nil in 30 seconds. Smoke was first blue then turned gray. No electrical odor; but a slight oil odor. Donned oxygen masks; declared emergency; initiated emergency descent. Center vectored us to ZZZ for ILS. Descent was IMC; rain; clouds; turbulence. Used standby gyro; RMI; could not see EFIS screens because of smoke. Hand flown descent and approach. After landing; evacuated aircraft. Eventually discovered a nut on fan shaft in left engine came off and lodged in gear box. Somehow this caused oil to get into pressurization system. The gears in gearbox were now coming apart and engine failure was imminent; but we had no indication this was happening. So the oil in pressurization caused the smoke. Observations: EFIS is worthless in smoke filled cockpit. Emergency checklists must be printed in large print. Very difficult to see in smoke. One oxygen mask in cabin did not deploy. Had to move that passenger to another seat. We were never able to stop smoke from entering cabin/cockpit.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: post flight analysis revealed that number one engine failure was imminent and that a nut had come off the fan (spinner) and pierced the accessory drive shaft fairing and descended into the gearbox. This damage allowed oil into the bleed air system and caused the smoke. EFIS flight instruments were not visible through the smoke on their brightest setting and standby had to be used for the descent and approach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORPORATE JET FLT CREW REPORTS SMOKE IN CABIN/COCKPIT AT FL360. DURING EMERGENCY DESCENT EFIS DISPLAYS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE. FLT CREW LANDS USING STANDBY INSTRUMENTS.

Narrative: ENRTE AT FL360; CABIN/COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE AND VISIBILITY DROPPED TO NIL IN 30 SECONDS. SMOKE WAS FIRST BLUE THEN TURNED GRAY. NO ELECTRICAL ODOR; BUT A SLIGHT OIL ODOR. DONNED OXYGEN MASKS; DECLARED EMER; INITIATED EMER DESCENT. CTR VECTORED US TO ZZZ FOR ILS. DESCENT WAS IMC; RAIN; CLOUDS; TURB. USED STANDBY GYRO; RMI; COULD NOT SEE EFIS SCREENS BECAUSE OF SMOKE. HAND FLOWN DESCENT AND APCH. AFTER LNDG; EVACUATED ACFT. EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED A NUT ON FAN SHAFT IN LEFT ENG CAME OFF AND LODGED IN GEAR BOX. SOMEHOW THIS CAUSED OIL TO GET INTO PRESSURIZATION SYSTEM. THE GEARS IN GEARBOX WERE NOW COMING APART AND ENG FAILURE WAS IMMINENT; BUT WE HAD NO INDICATION THIS WAS HAPPENING. SO THE OIL IN PRESSURIZATION CAUSED THE SMOKE. OBSERVATIONS: EFIS IS WORTHLESS IN SMOKE FILLED COCKPIT. EMER CHKLISTS MUST BE PRINTED IN LARGE PRINT. VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE IN SMOKE. ONE OXYGEN MASK IN CABIN DID NOT DEPLOY. HAD TO MOVE THAT PAX TO ANOTHER SEAT. WE WERE NEVER ABLE TO STOP SMOKE FROM ENTERING CABIN/COCKPIT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: POST FLIGHT ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT NUMBER ONE ENGINE FAILURE WAS IMMINENT AND THAT A NUT HAD COME OFF THE FAN (SPINNER) AND PIERCED THE ACCESSORY DRIVE SHAFT FAIRING AND DESCENDED INTO THE GEARBOX. THIS DAMAGE ALLOWED OIL INTO THE BLEED AIR SYSTEM AND CAUSED THE SMOKE. EFIS FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS WERE NOT VISIBLE THROUGH THE SMOKE ON THEIR BRIGHTEST SETTING AND STANDBY HAD TO BE USED FOR THE DESCENT AND APPROACH.

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.

Corporate jet flight crew reports smoke in cabin/cockpit at FL360. During emergency descent EFIS displays impossible to see. Flight crew lands using standby instruments.