Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff on runway 9L and asked to make an expedited climb through 2500 ft MSL on our way to 5000 ft. I believe this request was to climb above an inbound helicopter from the east. At approximately 2200 ft the first officer (PF) called for flaps 0 degrees, climb power, after takeoff check. Shortly thereafter, we began to smell something hot. I thought we had fried an engine meeting the climb request. Shortly thereafter, smoke started filling the cockpit from the floor up. At that point I believe the tower was told that we had an emergency with smoke filling the cockpit and cabin. I question if I use the words 'air carrier xy declaring an emergency due to smoke in the cockpit and cabin.' approximately altitude now 3500 to 4000 ft. At 4500 ft, the tower asked us if we could climb to 6000 ft. The first officer, who now is using his oxygen mask, advised 'yes, we could make the climb.' at approximately 4700 ft, I, with my mask on, advised the controller again that we wanted priority handling because of smoke coming into the cockpit and cabin. Somewhere between that transmission and 6000 ft I was advised that oil was pouring from the left engine. I then put down the emergency checklist for 'smoke in the cabin' and immediately turned all of the bleeds and both acm packs 'off.' I did not tell the first officer to pull and lock the ram air handle. At approximately 3500 ft the flight attendants called up and told us that the cabin was filling with smoke. I told them that we were returning for a landing and were getting smoke in the cockpit also. Getting back to the bleeds being shut off out of sequence, I thought it was the thing to do right then, as it was more important to get through the in range approach and landing checks without compounding the problem by possibly landing gear up or something. We landed runway 4R clear at the high speed turn off, stop, shut down, and evacuate/evacuation our passenger down the main entrance forward stairs. The smoke problem was due to 1 propeller seal splitting and dumping approximately 16 pints of propeller hub oil all over including into the engine intake and acm ram air intake. We had problems communicating with two oxygen masks on. More so on my side! The flight attendants and tower were, I believe, unable to hear properly. Would it be possible to get a reading on this tape as to the exact words spoken. Also, could you given the time from takeoff to landing and parking for the evacuate/evacuation. I do not know exactly what I said and the time seemed to fly! Supplemental information from acn 205222: on first power reduction after takeoff the cockpit and cabin started to fill with smoke. Declared an emergency. We both put on our oxygen masks and declared an emergency to the tower at ord and was asked if we could climb to 6000 ft. We did, then were given an 180 degrees vector. Then 240 degrees for an approach to 4R. While we're being vectored, the captain is performing the emergency checklist, in range, approach and landing checklist. Seal was sent to the company for inspection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DISTR SMOKE IN COCKPIT. RETURN LAND. ACFT EVAC STRANDED.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 9L AND ASKED TO MAKE AN EXPEDITED CLB THROUGH 2500 FT MSL ON OUR WAY TO 5000 FT. I BELIEVE THIS REQUEST WAS TO CLB ABOVE AN INBOUND HELI FROM THE E. AT APPROX 2200 FT THE FO (PF) CALLED FOR FLAPS 0 DEGS, CLB PWR, AFTER TKOF CHK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE BEGAN TO SMELL SOMETHING HOT. I THOUGHT WE HAD FRIED AN ENG MEETING THE CLB REQUEST. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SMOKE STARTED FILLING THE COCKPIT FROM THE FLOOR UP. AT THAT POINT I BELIEVE THE TWR WAS TOLD THAT WE HAD AN EMER WITH SMOKE FILLING THE COCKPIT AND CABIN. I QUESTION IF I USE THE WORDS 'ACR XY DECLARING AN EMER DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN.' APPROX ALT NOW 3500 TO 4000 FT. AT 4500 FT, THE TWR ASKED US IF WE COULD CLB TO 6000 FT. THE FO, WHO NOW IS USING HIS OXYGEN MASK, ADVISED 'YES, WE COULD MAKE THE CLB.' AT APPROX 4700 FT, I, WITH MY MASK ON, ADVISED THE CTLR AGAIN THAT WE WANTED PRIORITY HANDLING BECAUSE OF SMOKE COMING INTO THE COCKPIT AND CABIN. SOMEWHERE BTWN THAT XMISSION AND 6000 FT I WAS ADVISED THAT OIL WAS POURING FROM THE L ENG. I THEN PUT DOWN THE EMER CHKLIST FOR 'SMOKE IN THE CABIN' AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED ALL OF THE BLEEDS AND BOTH ACM PACKS 'OFF.' I DID NOT TELL THE FO TO PULL AND LOCK THE RAM AIR HANDLE. AT APPROX 3500 FT THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED UP AND TOLD US THAT THE CABIN WAS FILLING WITH SMOKE. I TOLD THEM THAT WE WERE RETURNING FOR A LNDG AND WERE GETTING SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT ALSO. GETTING BACK TO THE BLEEDS BEING SHUT OFF OUT OF SEQUENCE, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE THING TO DO RIGHT THEN, AS IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO GET THROUGH THE IN RANGE APCH AND LNDG CHKS WITHOUT COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM BY POSSIBLY LNDG GEAR UP OR SOMETHING. WE LANDED RWY 4R CLR AT THE HIGH SPD TURN OFF, STOP, SHUT DOWN, AND EVAC OUR PAX DOWN THE MAIN ENTRANCE FORWARD STAIRS. THE SMOKE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO 1 PROP SEAL SPLITTING AND DUMPING APPROX 16 PINTS OF PROP HUB OIL ALL OVER INCLUDING INTO THE ENG INTAKE AND ACM RAM AIR INTAKE. WE HAD PROBLEMS COMMUNICATING WITH TWO OXYGEN MASKS ON. MORE SO ON MY SIDE! THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND TWR WERE, I BELIEVE, UNABLE TO HEAR PROPERLY. WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET A READING ON THIS TAPE AS TO THE EXACT WORDS SPOKEN. ALSO, COULD YOU GIVEN THE TIME FROM TKOF TO LNDG AND PARKING FOR THE EVAC. I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I SAID AND THE TIME SEEMED TO FLY! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 205222: ON FIRST PWR REDUCTION AFTER TKOF THE COCKPIT AND CABIN STARTED TO FILL WITH SMOKE. DECLARED AN EMER. WE BOTH PUT ON OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND DECLARED AN EMER TO THE TWR AT ORD AND WAS ASKED IF WE COULD CLB TO 6000 FT. WE DID, THEN WERE GIVEN AN 180 DEGS VECTOR. THEN 240 DEGS FOR AN APCH TO 4R. WHILE WE'RE BEING VECTORED, THE CAPT IS PERFORMING THE EMER CHKLIST, IN RANGE, APCH AND LNDG CHKLIST. SEAL WAS SENT TO THE COMPANY FOR INSPECTION.

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.