Narrative:

On takeoff at approximately 500 ft; received a call from flight attendant reporting smoke in the cabin. No smoke or abnormal indications noted in the cockpit. At 2000 ft MSL; engaged autoplt; donned oxygen and smoke goggles; and declared an emergency. On climb out; we coordination with departure control for an emergency return. We leveled off at approximately 9000 ft MSL and began our descent and turn to downwind. We received vectors to the visual approach to ZZZ runway 26L. An uneventful landing was accomplished. We determined that the smoke had dissipated and elected to taxi clear of the runway and continue to the gate with fire trucks following. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the smoke in the cabin incident was caused by pollen packing up in the air conditioning system mainly in the water separator. The pollen gets so thick in the spring the air becomes thick and yellow. Maintenance has a procedure on overnight aircraft layovers where the pack system are operated for a short time on full heat burning out the pollen in the water separators. This airplane for whatever reason was missed by maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 ON TKOF CLB AT 500 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO CABIN ATTENDANT RPT OF CABIN FILLING WITH SMOKE. CAUSED BY POLLEN IN PACK.

Narrative: ON TKOF AT APPROX 500 FT; RECEIVED A CALL FROM FLT ATTENDANT RPTING SMOKE IN THE CABIN. NO SMOKE OR ABNORMAL INDICATIONS NOTED IN THE COCKPIT. AT 2000 FT MSL; ENGAGED AUTOPLT; DONNED OXYGEN AND SMOKE GOGGLES; AND DECLARED AN EMER. ON CLBOUT; WE COORD WITH DEP CTL FOR AN EMER RETURN. WE LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 9000 FT MSL AND BEGAN OUR DSCNT AND TURN TO DOWNWIND. WE RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE VISUAL APCH TO ZZZ RWY 26L. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED. WE DETERMINED THAT THE SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED AND ELECTED TO TAXI CLR OF THE RWY AND CONTINUE TO THE GATE WITH FIRE TRUCKS FOLLOWING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY POLLEN PACKING UP IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS MAINLY IN THE WATER SEPARATOR. THE POLLEN GETS SO THICK IN THE SPRING THE AIR BECOMES THICK AND YELLOW. MAINT HAS A PROC ON OVERNIGHT ACFT LAYOVERS WHERE THE PACK SYS ARE OPERATED FOR A SHORT TIME ON FULL HEAT BURNING OUT THE POLLEN IN THE WATER SEPARATORS. THIS AIRPLANE FOR WHATEVER REASON WAS MISSED BY MAINT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.