Narrative:

On takeoff from den crew noticed smell of smoke and heard numerous chimes from rear cabin. Began a turn from departure control. Cabin attendant called and reported the smell of smoke to captain. Captain declared emergency with departure and I turned to downwind for landing. Emergency equipment was put on alert for possible fire. We were given runway 35R for landing. Accomplished normal landing. Emergency equipment met aircraft on turnoff from runway and reported no smoke on outside of aircraft. I went to rear cabin and checked area. No visible smoke and no hot spots on any area of cabin. Decision to return to gate and deplane passenger through jet bridge. Possible cause: dirt and deice fluid residue in water separator of air conditioning packs. 1) good judgement by captain to return to land and sort problem on ground. 2) good communication from cabin by F/a's on nature of problem. 3) good response from ATC, crash fire and rescue personnel. Corrective action: clean water separator filters more frequently. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that the odor smelled like that of the tires when they rub against the in-flight brake system and get warm. Text indicates actions that followed. Maintenance action taken was to remove the filters that are located in the pack (air cycle machine) area in the tail area of the aircraft and clean them. Reporter was not very familiar with procedure or design of equipment, but suggested that any residual fluid leaking into that area would eventually foul up the filters, thus creating the smoke situation. No deicing was done on this pre-departure as WX conditions did ot dictate that procedure. A 2-HR delay was incurred for the maintenance procedure. Reporter does not know when or how often these filters are cleaned. Would like to see a procedure established wherein they are cleaned more frequency or adjusted for cleaning on a seasonal basis.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF ACR MLG DECLARES EMERGENCY WHEN SMOKE AND ODOR DICTATES A RETURN TO LAND JUST AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM DEN CREW NOTICED SMELL OF SMOKE AND HEARD NUMEROUS CHIMES FROM REAR CABIN. BEGAN A TURN FROM DEP CTL. CABIN ATTENDANT CALLED AND RPTED THE SMELL OF SMOKE TO CAPT. CAPT DECLARED EMER WITH DEP AND I TURNED TO DOWNWIND FOR LNDG. EMER EQUIP WAS PUT ON ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FIRE. WE WERE GIVEN RWY 35R FOR LNDG. ACCOMPLISHED NORMAL LNDG. EMER EQUIP MET ACFT ON TURNOFF FROM RWY AND RPTED NO SMOKE ON OUTSIDE OF ACFT. I WENT TO REAR CABIN AND CHKED AREA. NO VISIBLE SMOKE AND NO HOT SPOTS ON ANY AREA OF CABIN. DECISION TO RETURN TO GATE AND DEPLANE PAX THROUGH JET BRIDGE. POSSIBLE CAUSE: DIRT AND DEICE FLUID RESIDUE IN WATER SEPARATOR OF AIR CONDITIONING PACKS. 1) GOOD JUDGEMENT BY CAPT TO RETURN TO LAND AND SORT PROB ON GND. 2) GOOD COM FROM CABIN BY F/A'S ON NATURE OF PROB. 3) GOOD RESPONSE FROM ATC, CRASH FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL. CORRECTIVE ACTION: CLEAN WATER SEPARATOR FILTERS MORE FREQUENTLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT THE ODOR SMELLED LIKE THAT OF THE TIRES WHEN THEY RUB AGAINST THE INFLT BRAKE SYS AND GET WARM. TEXT INDICATES ACTIONS THAT FOLLOWED. MAINT ACTION TAKEN WAS TO REMOVE THE FILTERS THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE PACK (AIR CYCLE MACHINE) AREA IN THE TAIL AREA OF THE ACFT AND CLEAN THEM. RPTR WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH PROC OR DESIGN OF EQUIPMENT, BUT SUGGESTED THAT ANY RESIDUAL FLUID LEAKING INTO THAT AREA WOULD EVENTUALLY FOUL UP THE FILTERS, THUS CREATING THE SMOKE SITUATION. NO DEICING WAS DONE ON THIS PRE-DEP AS WX CONDITIONS DID OT DICTATE THAT PROC. A 2-HR DELAY WAS INCURRED FOR THE MAINT PROC. RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHEN OR HOW OFTEN THESE FILTERS ARE CLEANED. WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PROC ESTABLISHED WHEREIN THEY ARE CLEANED MORE FREQ OR ADJUSTED FOR CLEANING ON A SEASONAL BASIS.

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