Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Other / Unknown
ATC Issue All Types
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft
An Aerostar checked on my frequency and advised that he had smoke in the cockpit and was declaring an emergency. I asked the pilot his intentions and he wished to land immediately at the closest airport. The Aerostar was not yet in my airspace. I began offering airports to the pilot; and he advised that he had visual with an airport 'at his 10 o'clock.' The pilot began a sharp turn and rapid descent towards an airport. My D-Side completed coordination with all affected sectors including the sector that the aircraft was in and the Approach Control into which the aircraft was descending. The pilot later advised that the smoke had cleared in the cockpit and he determined the source to be a heater. He advised that he wished to continue to his original destination.
Enroute Controller described what may have been an airspace infraction when an aircraft declared an emergency; started an immediate descent and turn toward the nearest airport.