That was my inner voice screaming. My actual voice asking, “What the *&^%* is going on?” at least three times.
Smoke In The Cockpit!
That was my inner voice screaming. My actual voice asking, What the *&^%* is going on? at least three times. It was a sudden, instantaneous event. One moment, I was trundling along in my Comanche 250 climbing slowly eastward over the Sierras, looking out at clear blue skies as the autopilot dutifully tracked the GPS toward my destination. Then, bam! The cabin filled with an acrid-smelling cloud. I could not see the instrument panel.
Key Takeaways:
- While flying over the Sierras, a pilot experienced a sudden, cabin-filling cloud of acrid smoke, temporarily obscuring his vision and causing initial confusion.
- He instinctively opened vents for fresh air and visibility, eventually discovering the source was a dry-powder fire extinguisher that had accidentally discharged after its retaining pin came out.
- The incident highlighted the critical importance of quickly ventilating the cabin during an emergency and reinforced why dry-powder extinguishers are not recommended for aircraft due to the mess and visibility obstruction they cause.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
