Narrative:

On departure at 3;000 ft began to smell hot fumes/smoke. Flight attendants called forward and said they smelled smoke/fumes. Donned oxygen masks and decided to return to the airport of departure. Contacted dispatch and notified of decision to return. Notified ATC and requested emergency equipment to meet the aircraft upon landing. Landed without incident fire crew inspected the outside of the aircraft then we taxied to the gate. We suspect the left pack may have been providing excessive heat.left pack cooling fan was on MEL. Procedure called to not turn on the pack on the ground. This was briefed prior to pushback. After engine start the left pack was inadvertently turned on and not caught by the crew. The MEL sticker was located on the center console and not on/near the switch for the left pack.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An MD82 returned to the departure airport after smoke/fire/fumes odor was detected in the cockpit and cabin. The inadvertent actuation of a deferred pack prior to takeoff may have contributed.

Narrative: On departure at 3;000 FT began to smell hot fumes/smoke. Flight attendants called forward and said they smelled smoke/fumes. Donned oxygen masks and decided to return to the airport of departure. Contacted Dispatch and notified of decision to return. Notified ATC and requested emergency equipment to meet the aircraft upon landing. Landed without incident fire crew inspected the outside of the aircraft then we taxied to the gate. We suspect the left pack may have been providing excessive heat.Left pack cooling fan was on MEL. Procedure called to not turn on the pack on the ground. This was briefed prior to pushback. After engine start the left pack was inadvertently turned on and not caught by the crew. The MEL sticker was located on the center console and not on/near the switch for the left pack.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.