An MD80; in climb at 500 ft; crew noted a slight burning oil smell. At 2000 ft; flight attendant rep...

Attributes
ACN	653943
Time
Date	200504
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	653943
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	653944
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Just prior to pushback; ramp noticed what appeared to be an oil leak on the left side tail section of the aircraft. I called maintenance and shut down the APU. Maintenance determined that the APU had been over-svced and corrected the problem. Taxi and takeoff were normal. About 500 ft we noticed a slight burning oil smell. At 2000 ft the flight attendant called and said there was a smoky haze in the cabin and it smelled like burning oil. She also said the passenger were very concerned. At that time; the captain decided to return to ZZZ. The captain flew the aircraft and talked to ATC while I pulled out the emergency checklist. I called back to the cabin to see if the problem was better or worse. The flight attendant said the smoke was dissipating but the passenger were still concerned. We continued to ZZZ as a precaution. I was finishing up the checklists and reviewing the overweight landing portion of the QRH when tower asked if we wanted to declare an emergency (I thought the captain already had). The captain answered the call and said no; the problem was resolved; all indications were normal and that the return to land was precautionary. We landed normally about 30 seconds or so later. On the taxi in; with more time to think about it; we discussed what had happened and thought that an emergency should have been declared just to be on the safe side. Taxi was normal and maintenance took the aircraft OTS. Supplemental information from acn 653944: just prior to pushback; after brake release; a wing walker noticed oil dripping from the tail of the aircraft. We terminated the push and canceled clearance for push with ground. Maintenance arrived at the aircraft and determined APU oil was over-svced and draining from mast and other places. Maintenance drained excess oil and had us start the APU; it operations checked normal. I was fairly certain the smell and smoke/haze were due to the APU oil overflow being ingested by the air conditioning packs. However; the decision to continue the approach and landing at ZZZ as a precaution was the prudent course of action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80; IN CLB AT 500 FT; CREW NOTED A SLIGHT BURNING OIL SMELL. AT 2000 FT; FLT ATTENDANT RPTED SMOKY HAZE AND BURNING OIL SMELL. FLT RETURNED TO DEP STATION.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK; RAMP NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN OIL LEAK ON THE L SIDE TAIL SECTION OF THE ACFT. I CALLED MAINT AND SHUT DOWN THE APU. MAINT DETERMINED THAT THE APU HAD BEEN OVER-SVCED AND CORRECTED THE PROB. TAXI AND TKOF WERE NORMAL. ABOUT 500 FT WE NOTICED A SLIGHT BURNING OIL SMELL. AT 2000 FT THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND SAID THERE WAS A SMOKY HAZE IN THE CABIN AND IT SMELLED LIKE BURNING OIL. SHE ALSO SAID THE PAX WERE VERY CONCERNED. AT THAT TIME; THE CAPT DECIDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. THE CAPT FLEW THE ACFT AND TALKED TO ATC WHILE I PULLED OUT THE EMER CHKLIST. I CALLED BACK TO THE CABIN TO SEE IF THE PROB WAS BETTER OR WORSE. THE FLT ATTENDANT SAID THE SMOKE WAS DISSIPATING BUT THE PAX WERE STILL CONCERNED. WE CONTINUED TO ZZZ AS A PRECAUTION. I WAS FINISHING UP THE CHKLISTS AND REVIEWING THE OVERWT LNDG PORTION OF THE QRH WHEN TWR ASKED IF WE WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER (I THOUGHT THE CAPT ALREADY HAD). THE CAPT ANSWERED THE CALL AND SAID NO; THE PROB WAS RESOLVED; ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL AND THAT THE RETURN TO LAND WAS PRECAUTIONARY. WE LANDED NORMALLY ABOUT 30 SECONDS OR SO LATER. ON THE TAXI IN; WITH MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT; WE DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THOUGHT THAT AN EMER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DECLARED JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE. TAXI WAS NORMAL AND MAINT TOOK THE ACFT OTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 653944: JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK; AFTER BRAKE RELEASE; A WING WALKER NOTICED OIL DRIPPING FROM THE TAIL OF THE ACFT. WE TERMINATED THE PUSH AND CANCELED CLRNC FOR PUSH WITH GND. MAINT ARRIVED AT THE ACFT AND DETERMINED APU OIL WAS OVER-SVCED AND DRAINING FROM MAST AND OTHER PLACES. MAINT DRAINED EXCESS OIL AND HAD US START THE APU; IT OPS CHKED NORMAL. I WAS FAIRLY CERTAIN THE SMELL AND SMOKE/HAZE WERE DUE TO THE APU OIL OVERFLOW BEING INGESTED BY THE AIR CONDITIONING PACKS. HOWEVER; THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE APCH AND LNDG AT ZZZ AS A PRECAUTION WAS THE PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION.

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.

An MD80; in climb at 500 ft; crew noted a slight burning oil smell. At 2000 ft; flight attendant reported smoky haze and burning oil smell. Flight returned to departure station.