Narrative:

We were dispatched with an APU inoperative. We needed to start engines #1 and #3 at the gate. It took a few mins to accomplish the start and start the actual push. During the taxi, near taxiway C the csc (flight attendant) reported to the flight crew that it smelled funny in the back cabin. Up front at that time we did not notice any bad odor. We commented that the winds were calm (4 KTS) and we were right behind a B767. We were not using the APU for air. We were using the engines and they were at idle or very low throttle setting most of the time. The flight attendant noted it was not improving. Captain sent flight engineer back to the rear cabin to check this out. Flight engineer noted lack of experience required that the flight attendant would not be very helpful. Met flight attendant in rear cabin galley, indicated that it smelled earlier, but it had dissipated. Flight engineer went back to cockpit and reported to captain that he could not smell anything bad and flight atendant indicated that what she had smelled earlier had dissipated. We started the final engine as per pilot operating manual xbleed start. The B767 in front turned tail-away to enter runway. We assumed any smell may have come from calm winds, being right behind it, and being on AC power for packs. We did not get any complaints from the flight atendants prior to departure. The flight crew did not notice any odor prior to departure. After departure, around 10000 ft, the flight attendants noted to the crew that the smell was back. The captain and crew noted the smell did come to the cockpit now as well. The captain determined to declare an emergency and return to atl. The flight engineer called atl radio and dispatcher to report the return. The crew placed oxygen masks on and accomplished checklists. We returned to gate to shut down aircraft and deplane passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B727 DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO LAND AFTER FLT ATTENDANT ADVISES FLC OF SMOKE ODOR IN CABIN BOTH TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AND WHEN CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT.

Narrative: WE WERE DISPATCHED WITH AN APU INOP. WE NEEDED TO START ENGS #1 AND #3 AT THE GATE. IT TOOK A FEW MINS TO ACCOMPLISH THE START AND START THE ACTUAL PUSH. DURING THE TAXI, NEAR TXWY C THE CSC (FLT ATTENDANT) RPTED TO THE FLC THAT IT SMELLED FUNNY IN THE BACK CABIN. UP FRONT AT THAT TIME WE DID NOT NOTICE ANY BAD ODOR. WE COMMENTED THAT THE WINDS WERE CALM (4 KTS) AND WE WERE RIGHT BEHIND A B767. WE WERE NOT USING THE APU FOR AIR. WE WERE USING THE ENGS AND THEY WERE AT IDLE OR VERY LOW THROTTLE SETTING MOST OF THE TIME. THE FLT ATTENDANT NOTED IT WAS NOT IMPROVING. CAPT SENT FE BACK TO THE REAR CABIN TO CHK THIS OUT. FE NOTED LACK OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED THAT THE FLT ATTENDANT WOULD NOT BE VERY HELPFUL. MET FLT ATTENDANT IN REAR CABIN GALLEY, INDICATED THAT IT SMELLED EARLIER, BUT IT HAD DISSIPATED. FE WENT BACK TO COCKPIT AND RPTED TO CAPT THAT HE COULD NOT SMELL ANYTHING BAD AND FLT ATENDANT INDICATED THAT WHAT SHE HAD SMELLED EARLIER HAD DISSIPATED. WE STARTED THE FINAL ENG AS PER PLT OPERATING MANUAL XBLEED START. THE B767 IN FRONT TURNED TAIL-AWAY TO ENTER RWY. WE ASSUMED ANY SMELL MAY HAVE COME FROM CALM WINDS, BEING RIGHT BEHIND IT, AND BEING ON AC PWR FOR PACKS. WE DID NOT GET ANY COMPLAINTS FROM THE FLT ATENDANTS PRIOR TO DEP. THE FLC DID NOT NOTICE ANY ODOR PRIOR TO DEP. AFTER DEP, AROUND 10000 FT, THE FLT ATTENDANTS NOTED TO THE CREW THAT THE SMELL WAS BACK. THE CAPT AND CREW NOTED THE SMELL DID COME TO THE COCKPIT NOW AS WELL. THE CAPT DETERMINED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND RETURN TO ATL. THE FE CALLED ATL RADIO AND DISPATCHER TO RPT THE RETURN. THE CREW PLACED OXYGEN MASKS ON AND ACCOMPLISHED CHKLISTS. WE RETURNED TO GATE TO SHUT DOWN ACFT AND DEPLANE PAX.

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.