Narrative:

Climbing out of mia, fl, the flight attendant in charge (faic) notified the cockpit of smoke in the first 3RD of the cabin. The flight engineer checked the pack temperatures (100 degrees left, 90 degree right). They were normal. I called for the execution of the smoke identify and removal checklist. We already had our 02 mask on and 100 percent. We told ATC of our problem and requested vectors directly back to mia then continued the checklist. While doing the checklist the faic notified the cockpit that the smoke had cleared up. The flight engineer had not proceeded very far into the checklist when the smoke cleared up. Everything was operating normally and with the smoke gone I didn't declare an emergency. We received direct vectors to the visual approach to runway 12 at mia. On short final to runway 12 we got a very small odor of smoke but it went away after landing. We landed overweight at 162000 pounds. We taxied to the gate, deplaned the passengers and reviewed the situation with maintenance. Maintenance checked out all systems and determined the smoke may have been caused by glycol, a deicing fluid sprayed on the aircraft for deicing on the ground. They think it may have accumulated in an area and dripped on the hot air conditioning packs causing the short duration of smoke. I did not land at ft lauderdale which was a little closer than mia because we were in good shape with no smoke and a normal descent into mia seemed to be as safe as a slam dunk into fll. In closing I didn't declare an emergency for the reasons I just described but I did request the emergency equipment of standby for our landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAB INFORMED FLT CREW OF SMOKE IN CABIN. IT DISSIPATES BUT FLT DOES RETURN LAND.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF MIA, FL, THE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE (FAIC) NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT OF SMOKE IN THE FIRST 3RD OF THE CABIN. THE FE CHKED THE PACK TEMPS (100 DEGS L, 90 DEG R). THEY WERE NORMAL. I CALLED FOR THE EXECUTION OF THE SMOKE IDENT AND REMOVAL CHKLIST. WE ALREADY HAD OUR 02 MASK ON AND 100 PERCENT. WE TOLD ATC OF OUR PROBLEM AND REQUESTED VECTORS DIRECTLY BACK TO MIA THEN CONTINUED THE CHKLIST. WHILE DOING THE CHKLIST THE FAIC NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT THAT THE SMOKE HAD CLRED UP. THE FE HAD NOT PROCEEDED VERY FAR INTO THE CHKLIST WHEN THE SMOKE CLRED UP. EVERYTHING WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AND WITH THE SMOKE GONE I DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER. WE RECEIVED DIRECT VECTORS TO THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 12 AT MIA. ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 12 WE GOT A VERY SMALL ODOR OF SMOKE BUT IT WENT AWAY AFTER LNDG. WE LANDED OVERWEIGHT AT 162000 POUNDS. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE, DEPLANED THE PAXS AND REVIEWED THE SITUATION WITH MAINT. MAINT CHKED OUT ALL SYSTEMS AND DETERMINED THE SMOKE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY GLYCOL, A DEICING FLUID SPRAYED ON THE ACFT FOR DEICING ON THE GND. THEY THINK IT MAY HAVE ACCUMULATED IN AN AREA AND DRIPPED ON THE HOT AIR CONDITIONING PACKS CAUSING THE SHORT DURATION OF SMOKE. I DID NOT LAND AT FT LAUDERDALE WHICH WAS A LITTLE CLOSER THAN MIA BECAUSE WE WERE IN GOOD SHAPE WITH NO SMOKE AND A NORMAL DSCNT INTO MIA SEEMED TO BE AS SAFE AS A SLAM DUNK INTO FLL. IN CLOSING I DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER FOR THE REASONS I JUST DESCRIBED BUT I DID REQUEST THE EMER EQUIPMENT OF STANDBY FOR OUR LNDG.

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.