After a flight crew's declaration of an emergency, a smoke filled aircraft returned to land.

Attributes
ACN	300498
Time
Date	199503
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 400 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	300498
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After takeoff between 400-1000 ft AGL, smoke alarm in forward lavatory went off, cabin filled with smoke. Declared emergency and returned to atl, smoke dissipated on the ground, elected not to evacuate/evacuation, taxied to gate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter states that the forward lavatory smoke alarm sounded just after rotation in the boeing 737-200. The cabin crew simultaneously, initiated contact through the interphone. The reporter then, delegated the flying to the first officer, to meet the emergency. Apparently, the cabin crewmember was panicked, and time was lost in the exchange of cabin crewmembers on the interphone. The reporter directed the flight attendant to search the receptacles, and galleys, as the aircraft returned to land. On approach, the smoke dissipated. The problem, later, was thought to have been caused by oil on the air conditioning pack fan, which had been changed during the night preceding the flight. The takeoff maximum power brought maximum heat to the components, which caused excessive smoke to enter through the air conditioning ducts in the cabin. The smoke/smell was not obvious to the flight deck crew because the air conditioning source for the eyeball vents in the cockpit, is separate. There were no injuries -- the passenger were deplaned normally, at the gate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER A FLC'S DECLARATION OF AN EMER, A SMOKE FILLED ACFT RETURNED TO LAND.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF BTWN 400-1000 FT AGL, SMOKE ALARM IN FORWARD LAVATORY WENT OFF, CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE. DECLARED EMER AND RETURNED TO ATL, SMOKE DISSIPATED ON THE GND, ELECTED NOT TO EVAC, TAXIED TO GATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR STATES THAT THE FORWARD LAVATORY SMOKE ALARM SOUNDED JUST AFTER ROTATION IN THE BOEING 737-200. THE CABIN CREW SIMULTANEOUSLY, INITIATED CONTACT THROUGH THE INTERPHONE. THE RPTR THEN, DELEGATED THE FLYING TO THE FO, TO MEET THE EMER. APPARENTLY, THE CABIN CREWMEMBER WAS PANICKED, AND TIME WAS LOST IN THE EXCHANGE OF CABIN CREWMEMBERS ON THE INTERPHONE. THE RPTR DIRECTED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO SEARCH THE RECEPTACLES, AND GALLEYS, AS THE ACFT RETURNED TO LAND. ON APCH, THE SMOKE DISSIPATED. THE PROB, LATER, WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY OIL ON THE AIR CONDITIONING PACK FAN, WHICH HAD BEEN CHANGED DURING THE NIGHT PRECEDING THE FLT. THE TKOF MAX PWR BROUGHT MAX HEAT TO THE COMPONENTS, WHICH CAUSED EXCESSIVE SMOKE TO ENTER THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONING DUCTS IN THE CABIN. THE SMOKE/SMELL WAS NOT OBVIOUS TO THE FLT DECK CREW BECAUSE THE AIR CONDITIONING SOURCE FOR THE EYEBALL VENTS IN THE COCKPIT, IS SEPARATE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES -- THE PAX WERE DEPLANED NORMALLY, AT THE GATE.

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.