Narrative:

I had departed ZZZ airport on the departure procedure climbing through 12000 ft and was just given a clearance direct to abc VOR. I suddenly smelled an odor of smoke in the aircraft. I turned around to check on the passenger to see if they were eating or doing something to cause the source of the odor. One of my passenger noticed that I was looking for something and moved forward to inform me that he smelled smoke and it was worse in the cockpit area. I decided to return immediately to ZZZ and informed approach. ATC gave me a heading and assigned me an altitude of 10000 ft. I was in VFR conditions and felt that an emergency descent was a more appropriate course of action. I declared an emergency started an emergency descent and requested a heading to ZZZ airport. During the descent I had to fly the aircraft; change controllers; perform the emergency checklist; advise both controllers the amount of fuel and number of souls on board; tell the passenger what was happening; and attempt to locate the source of the smoke. During all this I strayed off some of the headings that approach had given me and allowed myself to become slightly disoriented for a couple of seconds. I got back to fly the aircraft first; acquired the airport visually and advised approach that I had a visual on the airport. I was then handed over to tower; given a clearance to land and made an uneventful landing at ZZZ airport. There was no damage to the aircraft or injury to any passenger. A thorough maintenance inspection was performed on the aircraft the next day and no discrepancies or any burned wires; components; or other items could be located. You never know how you are going to respond to sits such as this; but I do believe that fly the aircraft first is very appropriate. On the other hand the catastrophic results that could occur at high altitude in a pressurized aircraft if the source of a fire was not eliminated remind me of the importance of dealing with these sits. We practice these emergencys in the simulators every yr during recurrency and I believe that continued practice and experience will help us respond to sits such as these in the most appropriate manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE200 SINGLE PLT SMELT ODOR OF SMOKE IN COCKPIT; DECLARES AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNS FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING.

Narrative: I HAD DEPARTED ZZZ ARPT ON THE DEP PROC CLBING THROUGH 12000 FT AND WAS JUST GIVEN A CLRNC DIRECT TO ABC VOR. I SUDDENLY SMELLED AN ODOR OF SMOKE IN THE ACFT. I TURNED AROUND TO CHK ON THE PAX TO SEE IF THEY WERE EATING OR DOING SOMETHING TO CAUSE THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR. ONE OF MY PAX NOTICED THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING AND MOVED FORWARD TO INFORM ME THAT HE SMELLED SMOKE AND IT WAS WORSE IN THE COCKPIT AREA. I DECIDED TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY TO ZZZ AND INFORMED APCH. ATC GAVE ME A HDG AND ASSIGNED ME AN ALT OF 10000 FT. I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS AND FELT THAT AN EMER DSCNT WAS A MORE APPROPRIATE COURSE OF ACTION. I DECLARED AN EMER STARTED AN EMER DSCNT AND REQUESTED A HDG TO ZZZ ARPT. DURING THE DSCNT I HAD TO FLY THE ACFT; CHANGE CTLRS; PERFORM THE EMER CHKLIST; ADVISE BOTH CTLRS THE AMOUNT OF FUEL AND NUMBER OF SOULS ON BOARD; TELL THE PAX WHAT WAS HAPPENING; AND ATTEMPT TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE. DURING ALL THIS I STRAYED OFF SOME OF THE HDGS THAT APCH HAD GIVEN ME AND ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME SLIGHTLY DISORIENTED FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS. I GOT BACK TO FLY THE ACFT FIRST; ACQUIRED THE ARPT VISUALLY AND ADVISED APCH THAT I HAD A VISUAL ON THE ARPT. I WAS THEN HANDED OVER TO TWR; GIVEN A CLRNC TO LAND AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT ZZZ ARPT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR INJURY TO ANY PAX. A THOROUGH MAINT INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON THE ACFT THE NEXT DAY AND NO DISCREPANCIES OR ANY BURNED WIRES; COMPONENTS; OR OTHER ITEMS COULD BE LOCATED. YOU NEVER KNOW HOW YOU ARE GOING TO RESPOND TO SITS SUCH AS THIS; BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT FLY THE ACFT FIRST IS VERY APPROPRIATE. ON THE OTHER HAND THE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS THAT COULD OCCUR AT HIGH ALT IN A PRESSURIZED ACFT IF THE SOURCE OF A FIRE WAS NOT ELIMINATED REMIND ME OF THE IMPORTANCE OF DEALING WITH THESE SITS. WE PRACTICE THESE EMERS IN THE SIMULATORS EVERY YR DURING RECURRENCY AND I BELIEVE THAT CONTINUED PRACTICE AND EXPERIENCE WILL HELP US RESPOND TO SITS SUCH AS THESE IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE MANNER.

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.