Incident Overview
A pilot en route from Savannah, Georgia to Columbia, South Carolina reported a smoke smell and rising smoke in the cockpit approximately halfway through the flight. Simultaneously, the red 'in transient' landing gear light illuminated steady. The pilot moved the landing gear handle to the 'up' position without effect, then turned off all electrical power, manually cranked the landing gear down, and declared an emergency with Columbia approach control.
Precautionary Landing and Collision
The pilot performed a precautionary landing in a vacant field. During the landing, the right wing collided with a tree.
Postcrash Examination
Following the accident, personnel from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducted an examination. They could not duplicate any smoke or overheat condition. However, the examination revealed evidence of hydraulic leakage at the landing gear power pack, which was located behind the cockpit. Inspectors noted that the pilot may have smelled hydraulic fumes.