<< >> NASA ASRS Report 796730, July 2008

An air carrier aircraft returned to land after takeoff when the cabin filled with smoke from the APU which had the same problem the night before.

Attributes
ACN	796730
Time
Date	200807
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	796730
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Upon climb out at about 3000-5000 ft AGL faint smoke odor detected by flight crew; thought it was residual due to maintenance the night prior (flight canceled due to smoke in cabin at gate due to APU oil leak -- maintenance repaired overnight). Heard the cabin chimes associated with a lavatory smoke detector soon followed by cabin crew bells notification of smoke in the cabin. We notified departure control and immediately started a descent for ZZZ. We were issued a clearance to land on runway 19R. We completed the immediate return checklist and returned to the ZZZ airport. Crash fire rescue equipment were in position and followed aircraft to the gate. No evacuate/evacuation was needed after landing; so we proceeded to the gate. The night prior; we had experienced smoke in the cabin on the ground in ZZZ; and it was determined that the APU had an internal oil leak which had compromised the air conditioning system. Company maintenance had spent the night working on the aircraft to return to service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ACFT RETURNED TO LAND AFTER TKOF WHEN THE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE FROM THE APU WHICH HAD THE SAME PROBLEM THE NIGHT BEFORE.

Narrative: UPON CLBOUT AT ABOUT 3000-5000 FT AGL FAINT SMOKE ODOR DETECTED BY FLT CREW; THOUGHT IT WAS RESIDUAL DUE TO MAINT THE NIGHT PRIOR (FLT CANCELED DUE TO SMOKE IN CABIN AT GATE DUE TO APU OIL LEAK -- MAINT REPAIRED OVERNIGHT). HEARD THE CABIN CHIMES ASSOCIATED WITH A LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR SOON FOLLOWED BY CABIN CREW BELLS NOTIFICATION OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN. WE NOTIFIED DEP CTL AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED A DSCNT FOR ZZZ. WE WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 19R. WE COMPLETED THE IMMEDIATE RETURN CHKLIST AND RETURNED TO THE ZZZ ARPT. CFR WERE IN POS AND FOLLOWED ACFT TO THE GATE. NO EVAC WAS NEEDED AFTER LNDG; SO WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE. THE NIGHT PRIOR; WE HAD EXPERIENCED SMOKE IN THE CABIN ON THE GND IN ZZZ; AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE APU HAD AN INTERNAL OIL LEAK WHICH HAD COMPROMISED THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS. COMPANY MAINT HAD SPENT THE NIGHT WORKING ON THE ACFT TO RETURN TO SVC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.