Narrative:

We were out of rsw on time at XA40 and airborne at XA46, everything normal. Our climb out through 10000' was normal. First officer was at the controls and I did the 10000' check, then called our times back to rsw. Only a couple of mins later F/a X entered the cockpit and advised me that there was a strong smell of fumes in the cabin. I asked her to go back to the cabin and check for fuel leaking from the wings. Our fuel gauges were balanced and fuel flow gauges were matched indicating that we probably did not have a fuel leak. Less than a minute later F/a X re-entered the cockpit and advised that she could see no fuel leaking. I asked her at this point to be more specific about the smell and she said that it smelled like gas fumes, like when filling an automobile fuel tank. She also said that the smell was getting stronger. I told her to return to the cabin and not say anything to the passenger. We were by now passing through 17000' for 19000', and I called ZMA and asked to stop the climb at 17000', which we did. I then signalled for a F/a. This time F/a Y came forward and said that the smell was spreading throughout the cabin and getting much stronger. I told her to return to the cabin and prepare for an emergency evacuate/evacuation upon landing. I asked for and received a clearance to return to rsw. We turned around toward rsw and descended as instructed. I advised ZMA that we would like emergency equipment standing by, and told them the nature of the problem. We made a normal landing on runway 06 at XB12Z, and cleared the runway at the second turnoff. As soon as we were clear of the runway on the taxiway connecting the runway and the terminal ramp, we stopped as requested by rsw tower. We then did the emergency evacuate/evacuation procedures and checklist at XB15Z, followed by an emergency evacuate/evacuation of all 43 passenger and crew. Fortunately there were no injuries during the evacuate/evacuation. Both sides deployed normally and worked as they were designed. Later after the rsw fireman did a thorough search of the entire cabin and cargo area and found nothing. One of our passenger told us that another passenger in line at the ticket counter had smelled gas. He questioned this passenger at the time and found that he had accidentally spilled gas on himself while refueling a rental car.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER ACFT RETURNED TO DEP STATION BECAUSE OF REPORTED STRONG SMELL OF FUEL PRESENT IN ACFT CABIN.

Narrative: WE WERE OUT OF RSW ON TIME AT XA40 AND AIRBORNE AT XA46, EVERYTHING NORMAL. OUR CLBOUT THROUGH 10000' WAS NORMAL. F/O WAS AT THE CONTROLS AND I DID THE 10000' CHK, THEN CALLED OUR TIMES BACK TO RSW. ONLY A COUPLE OF MINS LATER F/A X ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF FUMES IN THE CABIN. I ASKED HER TO GO BACK TO THE CABIN AND CHK FOR FUEL LEAKING FROM THE WINGS. OUR FUEL GAUGES WERE BALANCED AND FUEL FLOW GAUGES WERE MATCHED INDICATING THAT WE PROBABLY DID NOT HAVE A FUEL LEAK. LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER F/A X RE-ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED THAT SHE COULD SEE NO FUEL LEAKING. I ASKED HER AT THIS POINT TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE SMELL AND SHE SAID THAT IT SMELLED LIKE GAS FUMES, LIKE WHEN FILLING AN AUTOMOBILE FUEL TANK. SHE ALSO SAID THAT THE SMELL WAS GETTING STRONGER. I TOLD HER TO RETURN TO THE CABIN AND NOT SAY ANYTHING TO THE PAX. WE WERE BY NOW PASSING THROUGH 17000' FOR 19000', AND I CALLED ZMA AND ASKED TO STOP THE CLB AT 17000', WHICH WE DID. I THEN SIGNALLED FOR A F/A. THIS TIME F/A Y CAME FORWARD AND SAID THAT THE SMELL WAS SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE CABIN AND GETTING MUCH STRONGER. I TOLD HER TO RETURN TO THE CABIN AND PREPARE FOR AN EMER EVAC UPON LNDG. I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A CLRNC TO RETURN TO RSW. WE TURNED AROUND TOWARD RSW AND DSNDED AS INSTRUCTED. I ADVISED ZMA THAT WE WOULD LIKE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY, AND TOLD THEM THE NATURE OF THE PROB. WE MADE A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 06 AT XB12Z, AND CLRED THE RWY AT THE SECOND TURNOFF. AS SOON AS WE WERE CLR OF THE RWY ON THE TXWY CONNECTING THE RWY AND THE TERMINAL RAMP, WE STOPPED AS REQUESTED BY RSW TWR. WE THEN DID THE EMER EVAC PROCS AND CHKLIST AT XB15Z, FOLLOWED BY AN EMER EVAC OF ALL 43 PAX AND CREW. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO INJURIES DURING THE EVAC. BOTH SIDES DEPLOYED NORMALLY AND WORKED AS THEY WERE DESIGNED. LATER AFTER THE RSW FIREMAN DID A THOROUGH SEARCH OF THE ENTIRE CABIN AND CARGO AREA AND FOUND NOTHING. ONE OF OUR PAX TOLD US THAT ANOTHER PAX IN LINE AT THE TICKET COUNTER HAD SMELLED GAS. HE QUESTIONED THIS PAX AT THE TIME AND FOUND THAT HE HAD ACCIDENTALLY SPILLED GAS ON HIMSELF WHILE REFUELING A RENTAL CAR.

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