Narrative:

Takeoff and climb out of phl, between 8000-9000 ft. 'B' flight attendant called and told me she smelled smoke, but couldn't see any. She called back shortly and said cabin had smoke, and it looked like chalky haze. We were 5-10 mi ese of phl at 10000 ft. I elected to return to phl. Informed departure of intentions, and he turned me north and asked if I had the field. I informed him I did and would like expedited handling. He asked what the problem was, and I told him we had some smoke. He cleared me for a visual to runway '27L'. In short time to get down from 10000 ft, a new first officer, me a new captain, talking to flight attendants on situation, and preparing aircraft for landing, I lined up on the arrival runway, which is normally runway 27R. When switched to tower, they said it looked like I was lined up for runway 27R, and I was going to land on runway 27L, right? I acknowledged and landed on runway 27L uneventfully. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain called back again with the cause of the smoke in the cabin. It was caused by an oil leak in the air conditioning pack. He had been attempting to obtain the information since the first part of march with no success. The company had 'appeared to be dragging their feet.' he has been in touch with the union air safety chairman as well. The 3 flight attendants in the cabin were brand new. The first officer had been with the company for 2 1/2 months. Recently, the captain went to his loft period in the simulator and there, in the listed loft programs, was a smoke in cabin with a rapid return/land scenario to phl. He said to the instructor 'I've been there and done that.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLC RETURNS LANDS WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT ADVISES OF SMOKE IN CABIN. THE PIC, PF, LINES UP FOR A WRONG RWY APCH TO RWY 27R AT PHL, PA.

Narrative: TKOF AND CLBOUT OF PHL, BTWN 8000-9000 FT. 'B' FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND TOLD ME SHE SMELLED SMOKE, BUT COULDN'T SEE ANY. SHE CALLED BACK SHORTLY AND SAID CABIN HAD SMOKE, AND IT LOOKED LIKE CHALKY HAZE. WE WERE 5-10 MI ESE OF PHL AT 10000 FT. I ELECTED TO RETURN TO PHL. INFORMED DEP OF INTENTIONS, AND HE TURNED ME N AND ASKED IF I HAD THE FIELD. I INFORMED HIM I DID AND WOULD LIKE EXPEDITED HANDLING. HE ASKED WHAT THE PROB WAS, AND I TOLD HIM WE HAD SOME SMOKE. HE CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL TO RWY '27L'. IN SHORT TIME TO GET DOWN FROM 10000 FT, A NEW FO, ME A NEW CAPT, TALKING TO FLT ATTENDANTS ON SIT, AND PREPARING ACFT FOR LNDG, I LINED UP ON THE ARR RWY, WHICH IS NORMALLY RWY 27R. WHEN SWITCHED TO TWR, THEY SAID IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 27R, AND I WAS GOING TO LAND ON RWY 27L, RIGHT? I ACKNOWLEDGED AND LANDED ON RWY 27L UNEVENTFULLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT CALLED BACK AGAIN WITH THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN. IT WAS CAUSED BY AN OIL LEAK IN THE AIR CONDITIONING PACK. HE HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THE INFO SINCE THE FIRST PART OF MARCH WITH NO SUCCESS. THE COMPANY HAD 'APPEARED TO BE DRAGGING THEIR FEET.' HE HAS BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE UNION AIR SAFETY CHAIRMAN AS WELL. THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE CABIN WERE BRAND NEW. THE FO HAD BEEN WITH THE COMPANY FOR 2 1/2 MONTHS. RECENTLY, THE CAPT WENT TO HIS LOFT PERIOD IN THE SIMULATOR AND THERE, IN THE LISTED LOFT PROGRAMS, WAS A SMOKE IN CABIN WITH A RAPID RETURN/LAND SCENARIO TO PHL. HE SAID TO THE INSTRUCTOR 'I'VE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT.'

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.