Narrative:

I have had concerns for some time about the attitude of one particular line mechanic in ZZZ. I feel that this mechanic 'abc' has always been very disrespectful to me. Many other pilots I have talked with have expressed that same sentiment. On sep/xa/00, we made an emergency air return due to a report of smoke in the cabin from our flight attendant. Upon arrival in ZZZ, we were met by abc and treated with an attitude that I felt was unnecessary and unprofessional. He seemed to be very upset about our return and the write-up in the logbook, as he was on previous encounters. Abc made a call on his radio in any angry voice, 'it's captain WWW! We'll just MEL it!' this incident particularly concerns me because of the events that followed. We departed with our #2 pack MEL'ed and upon selecting the #2 bleed after takeoff encountered smoke in the cockpit. I immediately deselected the bleed and the smoke subsided. After discussing the matter with the first officer and flight attendant we decided to contact maintenance control. Maintenance control advised us to continue to XXX 'if we felt comfortable,' and to return to ZZZ. We were told to write the problem up when we got back to ZZZ. I advised maintenance control that I would either return to ZZZ or continue, but would write the problem up wherever I landed. As a crew, we decided it would be safe to continue. Shortly after leveling at FL240, I discovered that the oil pressure on the #2 engine was much lower than #1 and what I was used to seeing. I mentioned this to the first officer and we both watched as it went from a low green indication above 50 psi to a red indication. We checked the level, which I recall being at 10 when we left the gate, and watched it drop from 8 to 3 in a matter of seconds before declaring an emergency and performing a precautionary engine shutdown. We diverted to vxv and landed without further incident. Obviously, this had been the source of our smoke all along. I am certain that if a thorough check of the bleed and pack system had been conducted, the second emergency could have been avoided. I honestly feel that abc allowed his personal feelings and prejudice against me to detract from his professional responsibility and duty to thoroughly investigate the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 145 ON EMER RETURN FOR SMOKE IN THE CABIN. A BELLIGERENT TECHNICIAN DEFERS THE R PACK WITH NO INSPECTION OR TROUBLESHOOTING OF THE AIR CONDITIONING PACK OR ENG BLEED SYS.

Narrative: I HAVE HAD CONCERNS FOR SOME TIME ABOUT THE ATTITUDE OF ONE PARTICULAR LINE MECH IN ZZZ. I FEEL THAT THIS MECH 'ABC' HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY DISRESPECTFUL TO ME. MANY OTHER PLTS I HAVE TALKED WITH HAVE EXPRESSED THAT SAME SENTIMENT. ON SEP/XA/00, WE MADE AN EMER AIR RETURN DUE TO A RPT OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN FROM OUR FLT ATTENDANT. UPON ARR IN ZZZ, WE WERE MET BY ABC AND TREATED WITH AN ATTITUDE THAT I FELT WAS UNNECESSARY AND UNPROFESSIONAL. HE SEEMED TO BE VERY UPSET ABOUT OUR RETURN AND THE WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK, AS HE WAS ON PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS. ABC MADE A CALL ON HIS RADIO IN ANY ANGRY VOICE, 'IT'S CAPT WWW! WE'LL JUST MEL IT!' THIS INCIDENT PARTICULARLY CONCERNS ME BECAUSE OF THE EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED. WE DEPARTED WITH OUR #2 PACK MEL'ED AND UPON SELECTING THE #2 BLEED AFTER TKOF ENCOUNTERED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. I IMMEDIATELY DESELECTED THE BLEED AND THE SMOKE SUBSIDED. AFTER DISCUSSING THE MATTER WITH THE FO AND FLT ATTENDANT WE DECIDED TO CONTACT MAINT CTL. MAINT CTL ADVISED US TO CONTINUE TO XXX 'IF WE FELT COMFORTABLE,' AND TO RETURN TO ZZZ. WE WERE TOLD TO WRITE THE PROB UP WHEN WE GOT BACK TO ZZZ. I ADVISED MAINT CTL THAT I WOULD EITHER RETURN TO ZZZ OR CONTINUE, BUT WOULD WRITE THE PROB UP WHEREVER I LANDED. AS A CREW, WE DECIDED IT WOULD BE SAFE TO CONTINUE. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT FL240, I DISCOVERED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE ON THE #2 ENG WAS MUCH LOWER THAN #1 AND WHAT I WAS USED TO SEEING. I MENTIONED THIS TO THE FO AND WE BOTH WATCHED AS IT WENT FROM A LOW GREEN INDICATION ABOVE 50 PSI TO A RED INDICATION. WE CHKED THE LEVEL, WHICH I RECALL BEING AT 10 WHEN WE LEFT THE GATE, AND WATCHED IT DROP FROM 8 TO 3 IN A MATTER OF SECONDS BEFORE DECLARING AN EMER AND PERFORMING A PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN. WE DIVERTED TO VXV AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY, THIS HAD BEEN THE SOURCE OF OUR SMOKE ALL ALONG. I AM CERTAIN THAT IF A THOROUGH CHK OF THE BLEED AND PACK SYS HAD BEEN CONDUCTED, THE SECOND EMER COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I HONESTLY FEEL THAT ABC ALLOWED HIS PERSONAL FEELINGS AND PREJUDICE AGAINST ME TO DETRACT FROM HIS PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND DUTY TO THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE THE PROB.

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.