Narrative:

Climbing out I was the PNF. We had a smoke warning in the pod. Almost exactly at the same time, the flight attendant called with some non-essential information. At the time of her call, I felt it regarded the warning and safety of our flight. I told her we could not deal with her issue, that we were returning to evv to land, and that we would try to get back to her. I declared the emergency with approach and they cleared me to land on runway 4. I exited a taxiway and pre- started an evacuate/evacuation checklist, including a 'prepare to evacuate/evacuation left' announcement. The flight attendant noticed the propellers had not stopped turning and elected to go the right rear emergency exit. She pulled the plug and as I gave the 'easy left' command realized she had made a mistake, but being blocked by the people (now between her and the main door) she elected to use the emergency exit anyway. No one was injured. There was no fire. Factors were: extreme difficulty in crew communication due to using the oxygen masks, and the inappropriate flight attendant call during sterile. I really became of the mindset that we had a fire because of the proximity of this call to the warning, despite the fact that she told us what the call was about. I also feel I should have taken time to more thoroughly brief the crew, and not let the perceived urgency of the situation rush our actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A BRITISH BA41 DECLARED AN EMER WITH ARTCC DURING DEP CLB AND RETURNED TO LAND DUE SMOKE WARNING IN THE CARGO POD. AFTER LNDG AN EVAC OF THE ACFT ON THE TXWY WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO INJURIES. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND CAUSE OF SMOKE WARNING NOT KNOWN.

Narrative: CLBING OUT I WAS THE PNF. WE HAD A SMOKE WARNING IN THE POD. ALMOST EXACTLY AT THE SAME TIME, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED WITH SOME NON-ESSENTIAL INFO. AT THE TIME OF HER CALL, I FELT IT REGARDED THE WARNING AND SAFETY OF OUR FLT. I TOLD HER WE COULD NOT DEAL WITH HER ISSUE, THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO EVV TO LAND, AND THAT WE WOULD TRY TO GET BACK TO HER. I DECLARED THE EMER WITH APCH AND THEY CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 4. I EXITED A TXWY AND PRE- STARTED AN EVAC CHKLIST, INCLUDING A 'PREPARE TO EVAC L' ANNOUNCEMENT. THE FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED THE PROPS HAD NOT STOPPED TURNING AND ELECTED TO GO THE R REAR EMER EXIT. SHE PULLED THE PLUG AND AS I GAVE THE 'EASY L' COMMAND REALIZED SHE HAD MADE A MISTAKE, BUT BEING BLOCKED BY THE PEOPLE (NOW BTWN HER AND THE MAIN DOOR) SHE ELECTED TO USE THE EMER EXIT ANYWAY. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THERE WAS NO FIRE. FACTORS WERE: EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN CREW COM DUE TO USING THE OXYGEN MASKS, AND THE INAPPROPRIATE FLT ATTENDANT CALL DURING STERILE. I REALLY BECAME OF THE MINDSET THAT WE HAD A FIRE BECAUSE OF THE PROX OF THIS CALL TO THE WARNING, DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE TOLD US WHAT THE CALL WAS ABOUT. I ALSO FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN TIME TO MORE THOROUGHLY BRIEF THE CREW, AND NOT LET THE PERCEIVED URGENCY OF THE SIT RUSH OUR ACTIONS.

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.