Widebody transport on departure has smoke in cabin, return land.

Attributes
ACN	288297
Time
Date	199411
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	288297
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp 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 Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At about 800 ft flight attendants rang the cockpit using the emergency signal. They reported that the aft of the aircraft was filled with smoke and the left aft lavatory smoke detector had gone off. We decided to return to lax and told the flight attendants. I also made an announcement to the passenger -- we shot an ILS to runway 25R (first officer flying). We landed smoothly and taxied to the gate with the crash crew following. Flight attendants were treated for smoke inhalation by company medical. Prior to intercepting glide path -- we went 400 ft below assigned altitude. First officer was following the GS because we were so close in, but we did not have approach clearance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that there is no definitive answer to the cause of the smoke. Flight attendants are not to turn on the ovens until after takeoff but that is where the smoke seemed to be from. No passenger were treated as they were all seated further forward as aircraft had a light load. Maintenance checked both engines, the packs and find no problem there. Reporter states he was met at the gate by FAA and news. What a surprise since aircraft had left the airport a mere 13-18 min before.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ON DEP HAS SMOKE IN CABIN, RETURN LAND.

Narrative: AT ABOUT 800 FT FLT ATTENDANTS RANG THE COCKPIT USING THE EMER SIGNAL. THEY RPTED THAT THE AFT OF THE ACFT WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE L AFT LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR HAD GONE OFF. WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO LAX AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I ALSO MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX -- WE SHOT AN ILS TO RWY 25R (FO FLYING). WE LANDED SMOOTHLY AND TAXIED TO THE GATE WITH THE CRASH CREW FOLLOWING. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE TREATED FOR SMOKE INHALATION BY COMPANY MEDICAL. PRIOR TO INTERCEPTING GLIDE PATH -- WE WENT 400 FT BELOW ASSIGNED ALT. FO WAS FOLLOWING THE GS BECAUSE WE WERE SO CLOSE IN, BUT WE DID NOT HAVE APCH CLRNC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE IS NO DEFINITIVE ANSWER TO THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. FLT ATTENDANTS ARE NOT TO TURN ON THE OVENS UNTIL AFTER TKOF BUT THAT IS WHERE THE SMOKE SEEMED TO BE FROM. NO PAX WERE TREATED AS THEY WERE ALL SEATED FURTHER FORWARD AS ACFT HAD A LIGHT LOAD. MAINT CHKED BOTH ENGS, THE PACKS AND FIND NO PROB THERE. RPTR STATES HE WAS MET AT THE GATE BY FAA AND NEWS. WHAT A SURPRISE SINCE ACFT HAD LEFT THE ARPT A MERE 13-18 MIN BEFORE.

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.