Narrative:

Immediately after takeoff, about 5 passenger pressed their call lights. 2 young girls seated in aisle seats looked back at me and mouthed 'what's that smell?' I smelled an air conditioning pack/fuel type smell, which I have smelled before. I thought it was a bit strong and I thought this was the smell they were referring to. Because I had smelled this type of smell many times before, I was not too concerned. The smell everyone was smelling forward of where I sat, however, was a different smell. Apparently it was originating from the first class ovens when they were turned on, and got stronger as the airplane took off. Many passenger sitting in first class and the forward half of main cabin were very concerned. The #1 flight attendant immediately told the cockpit and the captain decided to turn the aircraft around back to iad and investigate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER TKOF ON MD80S PAX ALERTED CABIN ATTENDANT TO ODOR IN CABIN. ODOR ORIGINATED FROM OVENS. FLC INITIATED RETURN LAND TO IAD.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, ABOUT 5 PAX PRESSED THEIR CALL LIGHTS. 2 YOUNG GIRLS SEATED IN AISLE SEATS LOOKED BACK AT ME AND MOUTHED 'WHAT'S THAT SMELL?' I SMELLED AN AIR CONDITIONING PACK/FUEL TYPE SMELL, WHICH I HAVE SMELLED BEFORE. I THOUGHT IT WAS A BIT STRONG AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE SMELL THEY WERE REFERRING TO. BECAUSE I HAD SMELLED THIS TYPE OF SMELL MANY TIMES BEFORE, I WAS NOT TOO CONCERNED. THE SMELL EVERYONE WAS SMELLING FORWARD OF WHERE I SAT, HOWEVER, WAS A DIFFERENT SMELL. APPARENTLY IT WAS ORIGINATING FROM THE FIRST CLASS OVENS WHEN THEY WERE TURNED ON, AND GOT STRONGER AS THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF. MANY PAX SITTING IN FIRST CLASS AND THE FORWARD HALF OF MAIN CABIN WERE VERY CONCERNED. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE COCKPIT AND THE CAPT DECIDED TO TURN THE ACFT AROUND BACK TO IAD AND INVESTIGATE.

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.