Narrative:

I was the PF, and after takeoff from ord, at approximately 400 ft, first officer and I smelled smoke in the cockpit. We continued to clean up the aircraft. At approximately 1500 ft, the time the takeoff inhibited stopped and the flight attendant call chime sounded. First officer answered the intercom and advised me that the flight attendants in the rear cabin area of the aircraft informed him they smelled electrical smoke. The odor was very strong but not visible. Having 2 indications of a problem, I decided to return to ord under my captain's emergency authority/authorized. Dispatch was notified by ACARS (7700). The first flight attendant was advised of our intentions to return to ord. First officer made a PA to the passenger to advise them of what was happening and our return to land at ord. We advised ord approach control of the emergency and also requested assistance from the ord fire and rescue. We prepared to land on runway 9R and donned our masks as per the qrc. WX was no factor for landing, but we were overweight (approximately 154000 pounds). First officer accomplished the overweight landing checklist, and referenced the demonstrated landing distance, which was not a factor for runway 9R. Required checklists were completed and a smooth touchdown was made. Medium brakes were used and as I turned off at taxiway M5, we noticed only 1 wheel brake temperature increased to 305 degrees. We turned east on taxiway M as instructed by ground control and stopped the aircraft next to the ord fire and rescue. When we removed our masks and could not smell any smoke, we advised the flight attendants to remain seated. We then shut down the engines, completed the associated checklists and requested more information from the flight attendants as to the aircraft cabin's condition. They informed me that the electrical smoke smell had dissipated. I informed the passenger and the flight attendants of my decision to deplane the aircraft using airstairs. I communicated to the fire rescue officials through the cockpit window of our need for airstairs that they said they would provide. We kept the doors armed until the stairs arrived. The passenger deplaned with no personal effects. There were no injuries, to my knowledge. First officer and I stayed with the aircraft while it was towed with no power to gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR TWIN JET FLC RETURN TO LAND WHEN A HOT ELECTRICAL ODOR IS DETECTED IN THE COCKPIT AND THE AFT CABIN 10 MI NW OF ORD, IL.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF, AND AFTER TKOF FROM ORD, AT APPROX 400 FT, FO AND I SMELLED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. WE CONTINUED TO CLEAN UP THE ACFT. AT APPROX 1500 FT, THE TIME THE TKOF INHIBITED STOPPED AND THE FLT ATTENDANT CALL CHIME SOUNDED. FO ANSWERED THE INTERCOM AND ADVISED ME THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE REAR CABIN AREA OF THE ACFT INFORMED HIM THEY SMELLED ELECTRICAL SMOKE. THE ODOR WAS VERY STRONG BUT NOT VISIBLE. HAVING 2 INDICATIONS OF A PROB, I DECIDED TO RETURN TO ORD UNDER MY CAPT'S EMER AUTH. DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED BY ACARS (7700). THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT WAS ADVISED OF OUR INTENTIONS TO RETURN TO ORD. FO MADE A PA TO THE PAX TO ADVISE THEM OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND OUR RETURN TO LAND AT ORD. WE ADVISED ORD APCH CTL OF THE EMER AND ALSO REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM THE ORD FIRE AND RESCUE. WE PREPARED TO LAND ON RWY 9R AND DONNED OUR MASKS AS PER THE QRC. WX WAS NO FACTOR FOR LNDG, BUT WE WERE OVERWT (APPROX 154000 LBS). FO ACCOMPLISHED THE OVERWT LNDG CHKLIST, AND REFED THE DEMONSTRATED LNDG DISTANCE, WHICH WAS NOT A FACTOR FOR RWY 9R. REQUIRED CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED AND A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE. MEDIUM BRAKES WERE USED AND AS I TURNED OFF AT TXWY M5, WE NOTICED ONLY 1 WHEEL BRAKE TEMP INCREASED TO 305 DEGS. WE TURNED E ON TXWY M AS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL AND STOPPED THE ACFT NEXT TO THE ORD FIRE AND RESCUE. WHEN WE REMOVED OUR MASKS AND COULD NOT SMELL ANY SMOKE, WE ADVISED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO REMAIN SEATED. WE THEN SHUT DOWN THE ENGS, COMPLETED THE ASSOCIATED CHKLISTS AND REQUESTED MORE INFO FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS AS TO THE ACFT CABIN'S CONDITION. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE ELECTRICAL SMOKE SMELL HAD DISSIPATED. I INFORMED THE PAX AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS OF MY DECISION TO DEPLANE THE ACFT USING AIRSTAIRS. I COMMUNICATED TO THE FIRE RESCUE OFFICIALS THROUGH THE COCKPIT WINDOW OF OUR NEED FOR AIRSTAIRS THAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD PROVIDE. WE KEPT THE DOORS ARMED UNTIL THE STAIRS ARRIVED. THE PAX DEPLANED WITH NO PERSONAL EFFECTS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, TO MY KNOWLEDGE. FO AND I STAYED WITH THE ACFT WHILE IT WAS TOWED WITH NO PWR TO GATE.

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.