A PA30 PLT DIVERTS TO WESTFIELD; MA; AFTER ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM BDL APCH CTLR. #1 ENG TRAILING LIGHT SMOKE WITH EYE STINGING SMOKE IN COCKPIT. A POSTFLT CHK REVEALED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
Synopsis
A PA30 PLT DIVERTS TO WESTFIELD; MA; AFTER ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM BDL APCH CTLR. #1 ENG TRAILING LIGHT SMOKE WITH EYE STINGING SMOKE IN COCKPIT. A POSTFLT CHK REVEALED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
Narrative
I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM WHITE PLAINS; NY; ON A BUSINESS TRIP FLYING AT 5500 FT MSL ON VFR FLT PLAN; WORKING WITH BDL APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING. CRUISING AT 65% PWR; I SUDDENLY FELT A STINGING SENSATION IN MY EYES. AFTER RUBBING MY EYES TO RELIEVE THEM; I NOTICED THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED TO APPEAR TO HAVE A UNIFORM GRAY HAZE OVER IT INSIDE THE COCKPIT. I FIRST ASSUMED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY EYES AND I RUBBED THEM AGAIN. NOTHING CHANGED. THEN I REALIZED I HAD WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. I CHKED ALL ENG INSTS; FUEL SYS; ELECTRICAL SYS; AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I LOOKED AT BOTH ENG NACELLES AND NOTICED A FAINT WHITE TRAIL OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMOKE COMING OFF THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE L WING BEHIND THE NACELLE. I AGAIN EXAMINED ALL THE GAUGES FOR EVIDENCE OF A FIRE OR SOME OTHER CAUSE. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. I CONTINUED TO WATCH THE L NACELLE; AND THE SMOKE OR VAPOR TRAIL GOT HEAVIER AND THICKER. I NOTIFIED APCH THAT I MAY HAVE AN ENG FIRE; AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT FOR A SINGLE ENG LNDG. THE CTLR GAVE ME VECTORS FOR BARNES MUNICIPAL; WESTFIELD; MA. THE SMOKE VAPOR TRAIL CONTINUED AND SEEMED TO INCREASE; SO I SHUT DOWN AND SECURED THE L ENG. THE VAPOR/SMOKE CONTINUED TO BURN MY EYES AND THROAT. I WAS CONCERNED THAT IF I DID NOT LAND; THE PROB COULD GET SO BAD I MIGHT BE OVERCOME WITH THE FUMES AND LOSE CTL OF THE ACFT. THE R ENG ONLY LNDG WENT FINE. UP UNTIL L ENG SHUTDOWN; BOTH ENGS WERE RUNNING FINE; AND NO OTHER PROBS WERE IDENTED. AFTER SHUTDOWN ON THE RAMP; THE CRASH CREW EXAMINED THE INSIDE OF THE L ENG NACELLE. THEY FOUND A SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NACELLE WHICH THEY THOUGHT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. HOWEVER; I BELIEVE THE SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL WAS PROBABLY OVERSPILL FROM ADDING OIL. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OR TRACES OF SOOT OR ABNORMAL COMBUSTION. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT SMALL OIL SPILLAGE WAS THE CAUSE. BACK AT HOME BASE; THE MECHS WHO MAINTAIN THE ACFT TOOK IT APART AND SEARCHED FOR THE PROB. THEY COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE OF A FIRE OR OTHER APPARENT SOURCE OF THE FUMES. I REMAIN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT AFTER THIS INCIDENT. I HAVE MORE THAN 100 HRS IN THIS ACFT; AND IT IS A GREAT AIRPLANE; WELL MAINTAINED. BUT THIS INCIDENT OF SMOKE/FUMES/VAPOR REMAINS A MYSTERY. I WILL NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE FLYING THE ACFT UNTIL A CAUSE IS FOUND AND CORRECTED. I FLEW BACK TO HOME BASE IN A SINGLE ENG ACFT THAT EVENING; NOT FEELING CONFIDENT IN THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE PA30; DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF AN APPARENT CAUSE OF THE SMOKE/FUMES/VAPOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR RECALLS THAT THE ODOR THAT PERMEATED THE COCKPIT WAS VERY CAUSTIC; A STRANGE ODOR. HE HAD TROUBLE SPEAKING WITH THE CTLR BECAUSE OF THE TOXIC EFFECT IT HAD ON HIM. AFTER HE ARRIVED HOME; HE CALLED A MR XY; A TWIN COMMANCHE 'EXPERT' FROM THE EAST. HE SUGGESTED A THOROUGH CHK OF ALL THE OIL LINES; WHICH WAS DONE. AFTER NEGATIVE FINDINGS THERE; THE MECH THEN TOOK THE COWLING AND ENG APART. WEDGED BTWN CYLINDERS 3 AND 4; THE HOTTEST PART OF THE ENG; HE FOUND SEARED BODY PARTS OF WHAT WAS LEFT OF A BIRD. WITH THIS INFO THE RPTR CALLED THE 'EXPERT' BACK AND THE PROB OF THE TOXIC FUMES WAS RESOLVED. MR XY STATED THAT THE TWIN COMMANCHE WAS A VERY CLEAN DESIGN; ONE THAT HAD A SPECIAL AIR STREAM AROUND THE FUSELAGE THAT ACTUALLY REDUCED PRESSURE WITHIN THE CABIN DURING FLT. THE ROASTING PROCESS OF THE BIRD AND THE FORWARD MOTION OF THE ACFT; ALLOWED THE FUMES TO ENTER THE WING AREA THROUGH THE ENG FIREWALL; INTO THE WING AND THEN FROM THE WING ROOT INTO THE FUSELAGE. WHEN ASKED IF HE WAS NOW GOING TO OBTAIN A SMOKE MASK; THE RPTR SAID 'NO;' THAT THE ODDS OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN WERE TOO ILLOGICAL TO CONSIDER.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.