Narrative:

We were approximately 50 mi south of ZZZ and had just arrived at FL450 deviating for WX. We had just flown over and around a severe line of thunderstorms and had to go about 300 mi out of the way to avoid the main WX. The right side pfd went blank (black) for about 20 seconds. Then a red 'X' came up for about 5 seconds and then the screen went through a limited cycle of rebooting for about 5 seconds then the display was normal. I detected the smell/odor of burning wires/plastic. My first officer also smelled it. The master caution cleared itself and went out after the pfd came back up. I asked ATC for a lower altitude immediately and my first officer re-donned his mask and descended. ATC assigned us FL370. The smell faded away and then about 2 mins later the smell came back and we decided to divert to the nearest airport and do a precautionary landing. We did discuss and considered continuing farther down the road but came to the conclusion that would not be safe. ZZZ was near us and was suitable so we chose it. My first officer flew the airplane and communicated with ATC some while I pulled the charts; coordination the diversion; and ran the normal checklist appropriate for each phase of flight. During some vacant time; I attempted to communicate with the company via the aircraft cell phone but was on hold for a lengthy period of time (2-4 mins) so I gave up. There was never visible smoke in the cockpit; only the odor of hot or overheated wires or melting plastic. The odor or smell was faint but was there nonetheless. The odor went away after a few mins. We did advise ATC that we were diverting to ZZZ and making a 'precautionary landing' and gave a brief explanation of event plus fuel amount in pounds and mins; souls on board; and type of aircraft. We did not declare an emergency. ATC was very helpful in assisting us; providing WX reports; and NOTAM information. We landed uneventfully at ZZZ; parked the airplane and secured it for the night. There were no services open at the airport and we had no emergency services available had we needed medical assistance or fire and rescue. In my opinion; that should be something to consider. The only improvement I feel we could have made would be: to communicate better between the crew members; discuss the situation; slow down the process and act upon the situation rather than react to the situation. When at 37000 ft; the nearest most practical airport is not directly beneath you. We did not consider services available on the ground. However; the only information we had to go on was what we did know: that we had lost the right side pfd and we smelled smoke and that we did not know the extent of possible damage and what might fail or be catching fire next.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CE56 DIVERTS TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING AVIONICS AND ELECTRICAL SMOKE AND ODORS.

Narrative: WE WERE APPROX 50 MI S OF ZZZ AND HAD JUST ARRIVED AT FL450 DEVIATING FOR WX. WE HAD JUST FLOWN OVER AND AROUND A SEVERE LINE OF TSTMS AND HAD TO GO ABOUT 300 MI OUT OF THE WAY TO AVOID THE MAIN WX. THE R SIDE PFD WENT BLANK (BLACK) FOR ABOUT 20 SECONDS. THEN A RED 'X' CAME UP FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS AND THEN THE SCREEN WENT THROUGH A LIMITED CYCLE OF REBOOTING FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS THEN THE DISPLAY WAS NORMAL. I DETECTED THE SMELL/ODOR OF BURNING WIRES/PLASTIC. MY FO ALSO SMELLED IT. THE MASTER CAUTION CLRED ITSELF AND WENT OUT AFTER THE PFD CAME BACK UP. I ASKED ATC FOR A LOWER ALT IMMEDIATELY AND MY FO RE-DONNED HIS MASK AND DSNDED. ATC ASSIGNED US FL370. THE SMELL FADED AWAY AND THEN ABOUT 2 MINS LATER THE SMELL CAME BACK AND WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST ARPT AND DO A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. WE DID DISCUSS AND CONSIDERED CONTINUING FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD BUT CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WOULD NOT BE SAFE. ZZZ WAS NEAR US AND WAS SUITABLE SO WE CHOSE IT. MY FO FLEW THE AIRPLANE AND COMMUNICATED WITH ATC SOME WHILE I PULLED THE CHARTS; COORD THE DIVERSION; AND RAN THE NORMAL CHKLIST APPROPRIATE FOR EACH PHASE OF FLT. DURING SOME VACANT TIME; I ATTEMPTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMPANY VIA THE ACFT CELL PHONE BUT WAS ON HOLD FOR A LENGTHY PERIOD OF TIME (2-4 MINS) SO I GAVE UP. THERE WAS NEVER VISIBLE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT; ONLY THE ODOR OF HOT OR OVERHEATED WIRES OR MELTING PLASTIC. THE ODOR OR SMELL WAS FAINT BUT WAS THERE NONETHELESS. THE ODOR WENT AWAY AFTER A FEW MINS. WE DID ADVISE ATC THAT WE WERE DIVERTING TO ZZZ AND MAKING A 'PRECAUTIONARY LNDG' AND GAVE A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF EVENT PLUS FUEL AMOUNT IN LBS AND MINS; SOULS ON BOARD; AND TYPE OF ACFT. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. ATC WAS VERY HELPFUL IN ASSISTING US; PROVIDING WX RPTS; AND NOTAM INFO. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT ZZZ; PARKED THE AIRPLANE AND SECURED IT FOR THE NIGHT. THERE WERE NO SERVICES OPEN AT THE AIRPORT AND WE HAD NO EMERGENCY SERVICES AVAILABLE HAD WE NEEDED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE OR FIRE AND RESCUE. IN MY OPINION; THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER. THE ONLY IMPROVEMENT I FEEL WE COULD HAVE MADE WOULD BE: TO COMMUNICATE BETTER BETWEEN THE CREW MEMBERS; DISCUSS THE SITUATION; SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS AND ACT UPON THE SITUATION RATHER THAN REACT TO THE SITUATION. WHEN AT 37000 FT; THE NEAREST MOST PRACTICAL AIRPORT IS NOT DIRECTLY BENEATH YOU. WE DID NOT CONSIDER SERVICES AVAILABLE ON THE GROUND. HOWEVER; THE ONLY INFORMATION WE HAD TO GO ON WAS WHAT WE DID KNOW: THAT WE HAD LOST THE RIGHT SIDE PFD AND WE SMELLED SMOKE AND THAT WE DID NOT KNOW THE EXTENT OF POSSIBLE DAMAGE AND WHAT MIGHT FAIL OR BE CATCHING FIRE NEXT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.