Narrative:

Our APU broke down before boarding and there was oil on the ground. We were able to depart with this broken. The captain told us and the passenger to expect a weird smell and a little smoke that should dissipate quickly. He also asked us to monitor the smoke and keep him informed of any excess smoke. Right after takeoff, the smoke came in and soon filled the cabin. All flight attendants were in jump seats and we called each other, concerned it was not going away. We were in sterile cockpit so, thankfully, the captain was listening to us and we began communicating. The passenger were worried and agreed the smoke was not leaving. The captain came on the PA and said we would descend down to 9000 ft and do something that was on their checklist and if the smoke didn't disappear we would return to san diego. The smoke did clear at 9000 ft and we continued to dallas. I checked passenger, ok in injuries, because some passenger and crew had sore throats and their eyes burned. No one was treated, as far as I know. I don't know who our captain was personally, but he did a wonderful job of communicating and being honest with the crew and passenger. He's a role model for emergency sits. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that she meant to write that it was the APU that was broken before boarding, not the psu. After learning that the passenger were complaining of sore throats and burning eyes, the captain descended to 10000 ft and depressurized the cabin to allow the smoke and smell to dissipate. Once the smoke had dissipated, they climbed back up to their cruise altitude. The passenger were quite nervous about the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, SAN-DFW. APU BROKEN BEFORE BOARDING, LEAKING OIL, DEFERRED. AFTER TKOF, SMOKE, FUMES IN CABIN. DSNDED TO 10000 FT, SMOKE CLRED.

Narrative: OUR APU BROKE DOWN BEFORE BOARDING AND THERE WAS OIL ON THE GND. WE WERE ABLE TO DEPART WITH THIS BROKEN. THE CAPT TOLD US AND THE PAX TO EXPECT A WEIRD SMELL AND A LITTLE SMOKE THAT SHOULD DISSIPATE QUICKLY. HE ALSO ASKED US TO MONITOR THE SMOKE AND KEEP HIM INFORMED OF ANY EXCESS SMOKE. RIGHT AFTER TKOF, THE SMOKE CAME IN AND SOON FILLED THE CABIN. ALL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN JUMP SEATS AND WE CALLED EACH OTHER, CONCERNED IT WAS NOT GOING AWAY. WE WERE IN STERILE COCKPIT SO, THANKFULLY, THE CAPT WAS LISTENING TO US AND WE BEGAN COMMUNICATING. THE PAX WERE WORRIED AND AGREED THE SMOKE WAS NOT LEAVING. THE CAPT CAME ON THE PA AND SAID WE WOULD DSND DOWN TO 9000 FT AND DO SOMETHING THAT WAS ON THEIR CHKLIST AND IF THE SMOKE DIDN'T DISAPPEAR WE WOULD RETURN TO SAN DIEGO. THE SMOKE DID CLR AT 9000 FT AND WE CONTINUED TO DALLAS. I CHKED PAX, OK IN INJURIES, BECAUSE SOME PAX AND CREW HAD SORE THROATS AND THEIR EYES BURNED. NO ONE WAS TREATED, AS FAR AS I KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHO OUR CAPT WAS PERSONALLY, BUT HE DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF COMMUNICATING AND BEING HONEST WITH THE CREW AND PAX. HE'S A ROLE MODEL FOR EMER SITS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT SHE MEANT TO WRITE THAT IT WAS THE APU THAT WAS BROKEN BEFORE BOARDING, NOT THE PSU. AFTER LEARNING THAT THE PAX WERE COMPLAINING OF SORE THROATS AND BURNING EYES, THE CAPT DSNDED TO 10000 FT AND DEPRESSURIZED THE CABIN TO ALLOW THE SMOKE AND SMELL TO DISSIPATE. ONCE THE SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED, THEY CLBED BACK UP TO THEIR CRUISE ALT. THE PAX WERE QUITE NERVOUS ABOUT THE SIT.

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.