A BE58 pilot experienced smoke in the cockpit from the janitrol heater. He shut down the heater; dec...

Attributes
ACN	812830
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon tracon : chs.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Baron 58/58TC
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2610 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	812830
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Prior to departure out of ZZZ; I obtained a clearance on the ground with approach using the direct phone line number. After clearance was received; I was immediately released and departed from runway X. My clearance was to proceed direct to our destination of ZZZ1 and climb and maintain 4000 ft. Upon reaching a safe altitude; I turned as cleared; and continued climbing to my assigned altitude. Once I climbed through approximately 2500 ft; I contacted approach. Approach indicated that I was in radar contact and to climb and maintain 7000 ft; our requested final altitude. It was at this time that my passenger (occupying the copilot seat) and I simultaneously noticed an 'off' odor coming from the front of the aircraft. Immediately after smelling the odor I noticed a small amount of white smoke radiating from under the instrument panel. I immediately turned the heater off. Realizing that I would need to immediately return to ZZZ; I contacted approach; declared an emergency; indicated that I needed to return to ZZZ with smoke in the cockpit. Approach immediately cleared me back direct to ZZZ and cleared me for a descent. At this point the smoke that was in the cockpit had almost totally dissipated. Realizing that I would not get the visual; approach cleared me down to 1700 ft. I broke out of the overcast directly over the field at 1700 ft and was cleared for a visual approach to the airport. I landed and taxied to the hangar without further incident. An exterior visual inspection of the heater showed no obvious physical damage. The mechanic later indicated that the janitrol heater installed on the aircraft was producing smoke for unknown reasons and would need to be rebuilt. I felt that declaring an emergency in this situation was appropriate. Pilots are trained that incapacitation can happen quickly when smoke is in the cockpit; and to treat it as an emergency. I was fortunate that the smoke that we saw in the cockpit was created by a heater malfunction and not from another source that would have continued to burn. I think that immediate action was necessary and that my decision was appropriate. Since there was no fire; I determined that the event did not qualify under NTSB 830.5(a)(4) for immediate notification to the NTSB.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE58 PILOT EXPERIENCED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT FROM THE JANITROL HEATER. HE SHUT DOWN THE HEATER; DECLARED AN EMERGENCY; AND RETURNED TO LAND AT HIS DEPARTURE AIRPORT.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP OUT OF ZZZ; I OBTAINED A CLRNC ON THE GND WITH APCH USING THE DIRECT PHONE LINE NUMBER. AFTER CLRNC WAS RECEIVED; I WAS IMMEDIATELY RELEASED AND DEPARTED FROM RWY X. MY CLRNC WAS TO PROCEED DIRECT TO OUR DEST OF ZZZ1 AND CLB AND MAINTAIN 4000 FT. UPON REACHING A SAFE ALT; I TURNED AS CLRED; AND CONTINUED CLBING TO MY ASSIGNED ALT. ONCE I CLBED THROUGH APPROX 2500 FT; I CONTACTED APCH. APCH INDICATED THAT I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT AND TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 7000 FT; OUR REQUESTED FINAL ALT. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT MY PAX (OCCUPYING THE COPLT SEAT) AND I SIMULTANEOUSLY NOTICED AN 'OFF' ODOR COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER SMELLING THE ODOR I NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF WHITE SMOKE RADIATING FROM UNDER THE INST PANEL. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE HEATER OFF. REALIZING THAT I WOULD NEED TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO ZZZ; I CONTACTED APCH; DECLARED AN EMER; INDICATED THAT I NEEDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ WITH SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. APCH IMMEDIATELY CLRED ME BACK DIRECT TO ZZZ AND CLRED ME FOR A DSCNT. AT THIS POINT THE SMOKE THAT WAS IN THE COCKPIT HAD ALMOST TOTALLY DISSIPATED. REALIZING THAT I WOULD NOT GET THE VISUAL; APCH CLRED ME DOWN TO 1700 FT. I BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST DIRECTLY OVER THE FIELD AT 1700 FT AND WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO THE ARPT. I LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE HANGAR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AN EXTERIOR VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE HEATER SHOWED NO OBVIOUS PHYSICAL DAMAGE. THE MECH LATER INDICATED THAT THE JANITROL HEATER INSTALLED ON THE ACFT WAS PRODUCING SMOKE FOR UNKNOWN REASONS AND WOULD NEED TO BE REBUILT. I FELT THAT DECLARING AN EMER IN THIS SITUATION WAS APPROPRIATE. PLTS ARE TRAINED THAT INCAPACITATION CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY WHEN SMOKE IS IN THE COCKPIT; AND TO TREAT IT AS AN EMER. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE SMOKE THAT WE SAW IN THE COCKPIT WAS CREATED BY A HEATER MALFUNCTION AND NOT FROM ANOTHER SOURCE THAT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO BURN. I THINK THAT IMMEDIATE ACTION WAS NECESSARY AND THAT MY DECISION WAS APPROPRIATE. SINCE THERE WAS NO FIRE; I DETERMINED THAT THE EVENT DID NOT QUALIFY UNDER NTSB 830.5(A)(4) FOR IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION TO THE NTSB.

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.

A BE58 pilot experienced smoke in the cockpit from the janitrol heater. He shut down the heater; declared an emergency; and returned to land at his departure airport.