Narrative:

Approaching 10000 ft MSL during climb out, the #1 cabin attendant advised the cockpit that there was smoke in the cabin and she and the other 2 flight attendants suspected a fire due to the color and odor of the smoke. A few seconds later, the first officer noticed the air-conditioning supply duct temperature had peaked at the 150 degree limit. There were no lights illuminated on the overhead annunciator light panel and the master caution and master warning lights never illuminated. We declared an emergency and requested an immediate return to oma. Both packs were operating in automatic. Since the right pack temperature control had been at the 3 O'clock position, I directed the first officer to turn off the right pack supply switch. The smoke then dissipated to the point that it was not visible in the cabin from the cockpit. We completed the air-conditioning smoke checklist and the cabin fire and smoke checklist as well as the normal checklists and the test items to the #1 cabin attendant. The landing was uneventful and we stopped at the holding area off the end of the runway for a fire crew to make an inspection. There was a delay by the fire crew because their command radio on the ATC frequency transmitted but did not receive. That problem was resolved and the inspection was completed and no evidence of fire was detected. We taxied to the gate and deplaned all passenger through the forward entry door to the jet bridge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD80 HAD TO RETURN LAND WITH AN ACFT EQUIP PROB AIR-CONDITIONING SUPPLY DUCT OVERHEAT. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: APCHING 10000 FT MSL DURING CLBOUT, THE #1 CABIN ATTENDANT ADVISED THE COCKPIT THAT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND SHE AND THE OTHER 2 FLT ATTENDANTS SUSPECTED A FIRE DUE TO THE COLOR AND ODOR OF THE SMOKE. A FEW SECONDS LATER, THE FO NOTICED THE AIR-CONDITIONING SUPPLY DUCT TEMP HAD PEAKED AT THE 150 DEG LIMIT. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE OVERHEAD ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT PANEL AND THE MASTER CAUTION AND MASTER WARNING LIGHTS NEVER ILLUMINATED. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO OMA. BOTH PACKS WERE OPERATING IN AUTO. SINCE THE R PACK TEMP CTL HAD BEEN AT THE 3 O'CLOCK POS, I DIRECTED THE FO TO TURN OFF THE R PACK SUPPLY SWITCH. THE SMOKE THEN DISSIPATED TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS NOT VISIBLE IN THE CABIN FROM THE COCKPIT. WE COMPLETED THE AIR-CONDITIONING SMOKE CHKLIST AND THE CABIN FIRE AND SMOKE CHKLIST AS WELL AS THE NORMAL CHKLISTS AND THE TEST ITEMS TO THE #1 CABIN ATTENDANT. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE STOPPED AT THE HOLDING AREA OFF THE END OF THE RWY FOR A FIRE CREW TO MAKE AN INSPECTION. THERE WAS A DELAY BY THE FIRE CREW BECAUSE THEIR COMMAND RADIO ON THE ATC FREQ XMITTED BUT DID NOT RECEIVE. THAT PROB WAS RESOLVED AND THE INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED AND NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE WAS DETECTED. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE AND DEPLANED ALL PAX THROUGH THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR TO THE JET BRIDGE.

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.