Narrative:

After boarding the aircraft with 130 passenger, 6 crew, the a-line flight attendant in charge mentioned that there was a haze or mist in the cabin. At first we thought it might be condensation, but on further investigation we decided it might be an overheated air conditioning pack. Outside temperature was 88 degrees. Shortly after that, our APU quit and would not restart. We referred to our MEL, complied with the procedures (pulled circuit breaker/inspected APU exterior doors) called our dispatcher and departed. We had no company maintenance at this station. During this time on the ground a flight attendant asked me about a bad door seal in the rear galley and I had sent my first officer back to inspect. Shortly after being vectored north on departure, smoke started to enter the cabin/cockpit. We went on oxygen, declared an emergency and requested vectors initially for tyndall AFB because of their longer runway, but on further consideration we elected to return to pfn. I told my first officer to run the checklist and maintain contact with the a-line. I received vectors for the VOR 32 approach but requested a lower altitude, picked up the field visually, and made a visual approach and landing on runway 32. My first officer had turned off the packs by this time and the smoke had lessened to a degree. After landing I decided not to evacuate/evacuation because the smoke was dissipating. Findings: oil leak in APU had gotten into air conditioning duct. Comments: the approach controller vectored us right at the field rather than setting us up to intercept final. Had we not spotted the runway we would have had to shoot the full VOR approach, wasting time. The checklist did not address turning off the packs until late in the procedure, even though that was the likely cause. I finally told my first officer to turn them off. Communication is obviously difficult while on oxygen with everyone talking at once. I did the flying and communicating with ATC. Our MEL did not call for an internal inspection of APU area which might have prevented problem. We had no maintenance at pfn.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND MANDATED BY SMOKE IN COCKPIT AND CABIN OF MD- 88 AFTER TKOF. FLC DISTR SMOKE IN COCKPIT. FLC FAMILIARITY WITH ACFT EQUIP PUB. FLC BEHAVIOR UNFAMILIAR WITH OP PROC.

Narrative: AFTER BOARDING THE ACFT WITH 130 PAX, 6 CREW, THE A-LINE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A HAZE OR MIST IN THE CABIN. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE CONDENSATION, BUT ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION WE DECIDED IT MIGHT BE AN OVERHEATED AIR CONDITIONING PACK. OUTSIDE TEMP WAS 88 DEGS. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, OUR APU QUIT AND WOULD NOT RESTART. WE REFERRED TO OUR MEL, COMPLIED WITH THE PROCS (PULLED CIRCUIT BREAKER/INSPECTED APU EXTERIOR DOORS) CALLED OUR DISPATCHER AND DEPARTED. WE HAD NO COMPANY MAINT AT THIS STATION. DURING THIS TIME ON THE GND A FLT ATTENDANT ASKED ME ABOUT A BAD DOOR SEAL IN THE REAR GALLEY AND I HAD SENT MY FO BACK TO INSPECT. SHORTLY AFTER BEING VECTORED N ON DEP, SMOKE STARTED TO ENTER THE CABIN/COCKPIT. WE WENT ON OXYGEN, DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED VECTORS INITIALLY FOR TYNDALL AFB BECAUSE OF THEIR LONGER RWY, BUT ON FURTHER CONSIDERATION WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO PFN. I TOLD MY FO TO RUN THE CHKLIST AND MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE A-LINE. I RECEIVED VECTORS FOR THE VOR 32 APCH BUT REQUESTED A LOWER ALT, PICKED UP THE FIELD VISUALLY, AND MADE A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 32. MY FO HAD TURNED OFF THE PACKS BY THIS TIME AND THE SMOKE HAD LESSENED TO A DEG. AFTER LNDG I DECIDED NOT TO EVAC BECAUSE THE SMOKE WAS DISSIPATING. FINDINGS: OIL LEAK IN APU HAD GOTTEN INTO AIR CONDITIONING DUCT. COMMENTS: THE APCH CTLR VECTORED US RIGHT AT THE FIELD RATHER THAN SETTING US UP TO INTERCEPT FINAL. HAD WE NOT SPOTTED THE RWY WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO SHOOT THE FULL VOR APCH, WASTING TIME. THE CHKLIST DID NOT ADDRESS TURNING OFF THE PACKS UNTIL LATE IN THE PROC, EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS THE LIKELY CAUSE. I FINALLY TOLD MY FO TO TURN THEM OFF. COM IS OBVIOUSLY DIFFICULT WHILE ON OXYGEN WITH EVERYONE TALKING AT ONCE. I DID THE FLYING AND COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. OUR MEL DID NOT CALL FOR AN INTERNAL INSPECTION OF APU AREA WHICH MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED PROB. WE HAD NO MAINT AT PFN.

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.