A LEAR 31A ON LEVEL OFF AT 14000 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR AND SMOKE FROM AN INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT PLATE.

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LEVELED AT 14000 FT ON IFR FLT PLAN. STRONG ODOR AT ELECTRICAL BURNING WAS DETECTED BY CAPT IN COCKPIT. SMOKE BECAME VISIBLE SHORTLY AFTER ODOR WAS DETECTED. CREW ASKED FOR CLOSEST ARPT. EMER WAS DECLARED. A RATHER RAPID DSCNT WAS INITIATED. TRACON GAVE CREW VECTOR TO XYZ. ACFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT; 6 (SIX) PAX EVACUATED AFTER ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP. NO INJURIES PROB WAS A LIGHTING OVERLAY ON INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH HAD A SHORT AND BEGAN TO BURN AND SMOKE. FACTORY CONCERNED AS TO WHY FUSE DID NOT BLOW OR LIGHTING CIRCUIT BREAKER DID NOT POP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE BURNING ODOR APPEARED FIRST; THEN SMOKE CAME FROM THE BACK OF THE LIGHT PLATE PANEL. THE RPTR SAID THE SMOKE WAS VERY LIGHT AND SMOKE GOGGLES WERE NOT REQUIRED BY EITHER OF THE CREW. THE RPTR STATED HE TALKED TO THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED SEVERAL OF THESE LIGHT PLATE PANEL FAILURES CAUSING ODOR AND SMOKE HAVE BEEN RPTED ON LEAR MODELS 31 AND 35. THE RPTR SAID THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLS THE SAME PANEL ON BOTH MODELS. THE RPTR STATED THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE LIGHT PLATE FUSE DID NOT OPEN OR THE FIVE AMP COCKPIT LIGHTING CIRCUIT BREAKER DID NOT TRIP.