AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2021 - 101

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I heard an audible pop through the headset
and, within a few seconds, caught the acrid
smell of electrical smoke.
landing spot, and a coms failure, I hadn't
thought to try Com 2. Our diagnosis was
later confirmed: the Com 1 unit failed
with a pop and some smoke. Incidentally,
I figured out the flight director problem
right after I landed. When I cycled the
avionics master, the MFD started up on
the splash screen. One must acknowledge
this to go into normal operating mode;
until then, there is no way to disconnect the FD. The FD was still on Nav and
ALT mode, trying to get me back on the
magenta line for Aurora.
Now to get home. I went through the
following on my own, then called my CFI
(also an airline A320 first officer and retired
U.S. Air Force pilot) to check my logic.
Was the airplane safe to fly? Yes. The
smoke was transient and cycling several
electrical items multiple times didn't
reproduce it.
Was it legal to fly? Yes. According to
POH section 2 ( " Limitations " ), I was
legal for day VFR flight with a single
com radio.
Were there landing alternatives? Yes.
From Auburn to Chicago there is a suitable airport every 15 miles or so. I'd stay
at 3,500 feet, for a quick descent if needed,
and hopscotch from field to field on the
way back.
My CFI agreed with my assessment:
It was an acceptable risk to fly back. As
an aside, the mechanic was pretty senior,
and I could see his regard for me increase
when I talked through my options and
called my CFI. It has so often been the case
that the wisest, most senior people in aviation hold you in the highest respect for

slowing down, considering options, and
asking for help.
The flight home was predictably hot
and bumpy under summer buildups. This
trip was undeniably successful, as airplane and pilot landed without a scratch,
and with options to spare. Looking back,
however, I see some things I clearly could
have done better:
Aviate, navigate, communicate. I should
have pulled the avionics breaker, decided
on a landing field, and set up my approach.
I kept flying the airplane but spent too
much time trying to communicate before
deciding where to land.
Practice simultaneous failures. I've
practiced lost coms, and smoke in the
cockpit, but never both together. This may
sound stupid, but it just didn't occur to me
that the smoke was likely to come from
a vital piece of equipment failing. Future
flights with my CFI will involve multiple
simultaneous emergencies.
Return things to normal. By leaving the
MFD on the startup screen, I created another,
totally unnecessary layer of confusion by putting the flight director in a mode where it
couldn't be turned off. This led me to believe
that the FD was the culprit, even though it
had nothing to do with the problem.
In a lost com situation, try Com 2.
Sounds simple, right? It's amazing how
the smell of smoke can cause tunnel vision.
Carry a smoke hood. It wasn't needed
here, but this was a reminder that not all
smoke stops on its own. 
AOPA
ALEX JONES is a physician in the Chicago

area and flies a Baron G58.

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2021
