Narrative:

Immediately following takeoff, an odor similar to that of burning plastic could be detected throughout the cabin. A dfw based flight attendant seated next to me at the forward entry area double jump seat asked me if I put a plastic object into the galley oven before I turned it on. I told her no and she stood up and checked the oven. Before she sat back down in the jump seat, she glanced down the single aisle and observed smoke at the back of the cabin. She then told me, 'oh no...we have smoke in the cabin,' then reached for the PA/phone and informed the captain, who was already communicating with the flight attendant seated at the tailcone exit jump seat. I then stood up and looked toward the back of the aircraft and observed all passenger seated looking toward the back of the plane. They were, no doubt, alarmed, but very quiet and remained seated. The captain then made a PA, informing everyone that there was a problem with one of the auxiliary power units and that he would be shutting it down and restarting another. If the smoke did not clear out of the cabin, we would return to lga. He also informed everyone that all of his instruments in the cockpit performed normally and that there was no indication of any problem with the performance of the aircraft. Moments later, the cabin cleared. We informed the captain and continued on to dfw. All passenger remained seated throughout the incident. Once our captain reassured them that everything appeared to be functioning normally, they went to sleep. Once we arrived at dfw, the aircraft was removed from service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80S ON INITIAL CLB AT 8000 FT EXPERIENCED FUMES AND SMOKE IN THE CABIN CAUSED BY THE AUX PWR UNIT.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TKOF, AN ODOR SIMILAR TO THAT OF BURNING PLASTIC COULD BE DETECTED THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. A DFW BASED FLT ATTENDANT SEATED NEXT TO ME AT THE FORWARD ENTRY AREA DOUBLE JUMP SEAT ASKED ME IF I PUT A PLASTIC OBJECT INTO THE GALLEY OVEN BEFORE I TURNED IT ON. I TOLD HER NO AND SHE STOOD UP AND CHKED THE OVEN. BEFORE SHE SAT BACK DOWN IN THE JUMP SEAT, SHE GLANCED DOWN THE SINGLE AISLE AND OBSERVED SMOKE AT THE BACK OF THE CABIN. SHE THEN TOLD ME, 'OH NO...WE HAVE SMOKE IN THE CABIN,' THEN REACHED FOR THE PA/PHONE AND INFORMED THE CAPT, WHO WAS ALREADY COMMUNICATING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT SEATED AT THE TAILCONE EXIT JUMP SEAT. I THEN STOOD UP AND LOOKED TOWARD THE BACK OF THE ACFT AND OBSERVED ALL PAX SEATED LOOKING TOWARD THE BACK OF THE PLANE. THEY WERE, NO DOUBT, ALARMED, BUT VERY QUIET AND REMAINED SEATED. THE CAPT THEN MADE A PA, INFORMING EVERYONE THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH ONE OF THE AUX PWR UNITS AND THAT HE WOULD BE SHUTTING IT DOWN AND RESTARTING ANOTHER. IF THE SMOKE DID NOT CLR OUT OF THE CABIN, WE WOULD RETURN TO LGA. HE ALSO INFORMED EVERYONE THAT ALL OF HIS INSTS IN THE COCKPIT PERFORMED NORMALLY AND THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT. MOMENTS LATER, THE CABIN CLRED. WE INFORMED THE CAPT AND CONTINUED ON TO DFW. ALL PAX REMAINED SEATED THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT. ONCE OUR CAPT REASSURED THEM THAT EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY, THEY WENT TO SLEEP. ONCE WE ARRIVED AT DFW, THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC.

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.