An air carrier small transport had to return to land because of smoke in the cabin.

Attributes
ACN	245610
Time
Date	199307
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1200 msl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw tracon : mbj
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial landing other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	245610
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff and after completing the climb checklist, the first officer and I realized there was smoke in the cabin. (We looked off through the cockpit door and saw the passenger through a haze.) we elected to return to the airport and the controller asked if we needed to declare an emergency. I said no as I thought we were so close to landing anyway and we had experienced this haze in the cabin before due to oil seeping into the air conditioning system from a leaking propeller hub. Why cause the fire trucks to come out? The controller asked the nature of our problem and we said smoke in the cabin. He elected to call the fire trucks and meet us at the runway. We landed and evacuate/evacuationed the passenger on the taxiway where we were met by the fire trucks. No one was hurt, gladly, and I now realize that I shouldn't have assumed the haze to be unimportant. I should have declared an emergency and requested fire trucks and equipment not knowing what the problem was.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR SMT HAD TO RETURN TO LAND BECAUSE OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AND AFTER COMPLETING THE CLB CHKLIST, THE FO AND I REALIZED THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN. (WE LOOKED OFF THROUGH THE COCKPIT DOOR AND SAW THE PAX THROUGH A HAZE.) WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT AND THE CTLR ASKED IF WE NEEDED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I SAID NO AS I THOUGHT WE WERE SO CLOSE TO LNDG ANYWAY AND WE HAD EXPERIENCED THIS HAZE IN THE CABIN BEFORE DUE TO OIL SEEPING INTO THE AIR CONDITIONING SYS FROM A LEAKING PROP HUB. WHY CAUSE THE FIRE TRUCKS TO COME OUT? THE CTLR ASKED THE NATURE OF OUR PROB AND WE SAID SMOKE IN THE CABIN. HE ELECTED TO CALL THE FIRE TRUCKS AND MEET US AT THE RWY. WE LANDED AND EVACED THE PAX ON THE TXWY WHERE WE WERE MET BY THE FIRE TRUCKS. NO ONE WAS HURT, GLADLY, AND I NOW REALIZE THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE ASSUMED THE HAZE TO BE UNIMPORTANT. I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED FIRE TRUCKS AND EQUIP NOT KNOWING WHAT THE PROB WAS.

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.