Flight attendant notifies crew of smoke alarm sounding in lavatory on initial climb. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	233035
Time
Date	199301
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : alb
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : alb
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial landing other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	233035
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Just after takeoff I received a call from the flight attendant who informed me that the lavatory smoke alarm was sounding off. The reason that I answered as the PF was that the first officer was speaking to ATC. Everyone to include the crew, ATC, and the people on the ground did their job quite well. The first officer notified ATC of the problem, the flight attendant verified there was no evidence of fire and handled the people, and I flew the aircraft back to the airport. Once on the ground we visually verified that no danger existed and that the battery on the smoke detector was low. This is where I made a mistake in judgement. I went inside to operations to notify company of the situation. I was informed that dispatch had already been notified. I failed to speak with maintenance. Instead, I took a new 9 volt battery and installed it in the smoke detector and we continued to our destination. Once in the air I was notified by company that I had made a mistake in not writing up the smoke detector. This was accomplished at our destination with the appropriate actions by maintenance. My error in judgement was that I treated the smoke detector no differently than a flashlight. It in fact needs to be treated like an integral part of the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIES CREW OF SMOKE ALARM SOUNDING IN LAVATORY ON INITIAL CLB. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TKOF I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE LAVATORY SMOKE ALARM WAS SOUNDING OFF. THE REASON THAT I ANSWERED AS THE PF WAS THAT THE FO WAS SPEAKING TO ATC. EVERYONE TO INCLUDE THE CREW, ATC, AND THE PEOPLE ON THE GND DID THEIR JOB QUITE WELL. THE FO NOTIFIED ATC OF THE PROB, THE FLT ATTENDANT VERIFIED THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE AND HANDLED THE PEOPLE, AND I FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO THE ARPT. ONCE ON THE GND WE VISUALLY VERIFIED THAT NO DANGER EXISTED AND THAT THE BATTERY ON THE SMOKE DETECTOR WAS LOW. THIS IS WHERE I MADE A MISTAKE IN JUDGEMENT. I WENT INSIDE TO OPS TO NOTIFY COMPANY OF THE SIT. I WAS INFORMED THAT DISPATCH HAD ALREADY BEEN NOTIFIED. I FAILED TO SPEAK WITH MAINT. INSTEAD, I TOOK A NEW 9 VOLT BATTERY AND INSTALLED IT IN THE SMOKE DETECTOR AND WE CONTINUED TO OUR DEST. ONCE IN THE AIR I WAS NOTIFIED BY COMPANY THAT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE IN NOT WRITING UP THE SMOKE DETECTOR. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT OUR DEST WITH THE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS BY MAINT. MY ERROR IN JUDGEMENT WAS THAT I TREATED THE SMOKE DETECTOR NO DIFFERENTLY THAN A FLASHLIGHT. IT IN FACT NEEDS TO BE TREATED LIKE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.