Narrative:

On takeoff the cabin filled with white smoke. We returned to departure airport. Maintenance cleaned 2 water separator filters and next takeoff was uneventful. During the incident, the need for clear communications was presented. The F/east was discussing over the interphone the situation with the flight attendants and at one point advised them that he would be 'evacuating' the smoke from the cabin. The flight attendants were spring loaded to evacuate the passengers and almost misunderstood our message. No harm done but it points out the need for precise wording during an abnormal situation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The white smoke had little odor and was quickly cleared from the cabin by opening outflow valve full open and shutting off the left and right air conditioning packs. We correctly surmised that the left and right engines had ingested some contaminant from the runway that had been used to help clear the snow and ice from the runway. Center engine sits too high to pick up such contaminants. Ground personnel confirmed our surmise and seemed to know just where the problem was and quickly corrected it be replacing the water separator filters.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER TKOF WHITE SMOKE APPEARED IN CABIN OF LGT. FE ADVISED CABIN HE WOULD EVACUATE THE SMOKE. CABIN ATTENDANTS MISUNDERSTOOD AND THOUGHT THE FLT CREW WAS PLANNING TO EVACUATE PASSENGERS AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: ON TKOF THE CABIN FILLED WITH WHITE SMOKE. WE RETURNED TO DEP ARPT. MAINT CLEANED 2 WATER SEPARATOR FILTERS AND NEXT TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING THE INCIDENT, THE NEED FOR CLR COMS WAS PRESENTED. THE F/E WAS DISCUSSING OVER THE INTERPHONE THE SITUATION WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND AT ONE POINT ADVISED THEM THAT HE WOULD BE 'EVACUATING' THE SMOKE FROM THE CABIN. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SPRING LOADED TO EVACUATE THE PAXS AND ALMOST MISUNDERSTOOD OUR MESSAGE. NO HARM DONE BUT IT POINTS OUT THE NEED FOR PRECISE WORDING DURING AN ABNORMAL SITUATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE WHITE SMOKE HAD LITTLE ODOR AND WAS QUICKLY CLRED FROM THE CABIN BY OPENING OUTFLOW VALVE FULL OPEN AND SHUTTING OFF THE L AND R AIR CONDITIONING PACKS. WE CORRECTLY SURMISED THAT THE L AND R ENGS HAD INGESTED SOME CONTAMINANT FROM THE RWY THAT HAD BEEN USED TO HELP CLR THE SNOW AND ICE FROM THE RWY. CTR ENG SITS TOO HIGH TO PICK UP SUCH CONTAMINANTS. GND PERSONNEL CONFIRMED OUR SURMISE AND SEEMED TO KNOW JUST WHERE THE PROB WAS AND QUICKLY CORRECTED IT BE REPLACING THE WATER SEPARATOR FILTERS.

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.