Narrative:

After takeoff, the forward 2/3 of the coach cabin filled with opaque smoke and strong acrid fumes. I immediately called the pilots to inform them of the situation. I also noticed a sensation of heat in the aft portion by my jump seat. The captain informed me we were going to immediately return to the ground in den. The captain landed the aircraft without any problems and the passenger deplaned normally through the forward entry area. No emergency evacuate/evacuation was initiated. The situation arose because hydraulic fluid had leaked into the air conditioning packs. The situation was aggravated when passenger started opening their air vents above their seats. This action drew more smoke into the cabin. Once the captain was informed of the smoke, he turned off the air packs and this caused the smoke to dissipate. Some of the fumes remained for a longer period of time. The flight was then canceled and the aircraft was put OTS.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON TKOF ON BOARD MD80S, SMOKE AND FUMES IN CABIN RESULTED IN EMER RETURN LAND FOR MAINT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, THE FORWARD 2/3 OF THE COACH CABIN FILLED WITH OPAQUE SMOKE AND STRONG ACRID FUMES. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE PLTS TO INFORM THEM OF THE SIT. I ALSO NOTICED A SENSATION OF HEAT IN THE AFT PORTION BY MY JUMP SEAT. THE CAPT INFORMED ME WE WERE GOING TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN TO THE GND IN DEN. THE CAPT LANDED THE ACFT WITHOUT ANY PROBS AND THE PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY THROUGH THE FORWARD ENTRY AREA. NO EMER EVAC WAS INITIATED. THE SIT AROSE BECAUSE HYD FLUID HAD LEAKED INTO THE AIR CONDITIONING PACKS. THE SIT WAS AGGRAVATED WHEN PAX STARTED OPENING THEIR AIR VENTS ABOVE THEIR SEATS. THIS ACTION DREW MORE SMOKE INTO THE CABIN. ONCE THE CAPT WAS INFORMED OF THE SMOKE, HE TURNED OFF THE AIR PACKS AND THIS CAUSED THE SMOKE TO DISSIPATE. SOME OF THE FUMES REMAINED FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. THE FLT WAS THEN CANCELED AND THE ACFT WAS PUT OTS.

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.