Narrative:

After takeoff, during climb out, smoke was noticed in the cabin. ATC was contacted and an emergency return to pbi was made. Once I was clear of the town on my way back to the airport I shut the fuel valve off. Electrical system was shut off and switched communication to a hand-held communication radio. Upon T/D I shut off the ignition and rolled out to the end of the runway, onto the taxiway, then off onto the grass to clear the taxiway. Inspection of the engine compartment verified that there was no fire, only smoking oil on the exhaust, so I taxied back to the parking ramp. But, since the exhaust was still smoking, I chose to park the aircraft on the grass, away from all other aircraft. This irritated the ATC, who claimed that I was behaving erratically and even noted that I made circles in the runup area prior to takeoff (I was flying a type small aircraft that has ailerons connected to the nose wheel so the only way to perform a control check was to make small circles with the aircraft). Police were sent to the FBO to verify that I was not drunk (I was not). I simply chose to park my smoking aircraft on the grass, away from other aircraft, in what was apparently not a designated parking place, but which was out of the way and not an obstruction or hindrance, and presented no threat to safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA MADE AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO PBI WHEN SMOKE WAS DETECTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, DURING CLBOUT, SMOKE WAS NOTICED IN THE CABIN. ATC WAS CONTACTED AND AN EMER RETURN TO PBI WAS MADE. ONCE I WAS CLR OF THE TOWN ON MY WAY BACK TO THE ARPT I SHUT THE FUEL VALVE OFF. ELECTRICAL SYS WAS SHUT OFF AND SWITCHED COM TO A HAND-HELD COM RADIO. UPON T/D I SHUT OFF THE IGNITION AND ROLLED OUT TO THE END OF THE RWY, ONTO THE TXWY, THEN OFF ONTO THE GRASS TO CLR THE TXWY. INSPECTION OF THE ENG COMPARTMENT VERIFIED THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE, ONLY SMOKING OIL ON THE EXHAUST, SO I TAXIED BACK TO THE PARKING RAMP. BUT, SINCE THE EXHAUST WAS STILL SMOKING, I CHOSE TO PARK THE ACFT ON THE GRASS, AWAY FROM ALL OTHER ACFT. THIS IRRITATED THE ATC, WHO CLAIMED THAT I WAS BEHAVING ERRATICALLY AND EVEN NOTED THAT I MADE CIRCLES IN THE RUNUP AREA PRIOR TO TKOF (I WAS FLYING A TYPE SMA THAT HAS AILERONS CONNECTED TO THE NOSE WHEEL SO THE ONLY WAY TO PERFORM A CTL CHK WAS TO MAKE SMALL CIRCLES WITH THE ACFT). POLICE WERE SENT TO THE FBO TO VERIFY THAT I WAS NOT DRUNK (I WAS NOT). I SIMPLY CHOSE TO PARK MY SMOKING ACFT ON THE GRASS, AWAY FROM OTHER ACFT, IN WHAT WAS APPARENTLY NOT A DESIGNATED PARKING PLACE, BUT WHICH WAS OUT OF THE WAY AND NOT AN OBSTRUCTION OR HINDRANCE, AND PRESENTED NO THREAT TO SAFETY.

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.