Narrative:

Immediately after takeoff, flight attendant called the cockpit and reported dense smoke in the cabin. The aircraft had a deferred APU. The captain thought that, due to the smoke immediately after takeoff, that air conditioning smoke was a possibility. With no smoke present in the cockpit, we turned off the #2 pack. The first officer (PNF) was then asked for the cabin smoke QRH. Moments later, a 'toilet smoke' caution was received. First officer was redirected to that QRH procedure. Captain (PF) declared an emergency and advised ATC as to the nature of the emergency and of our intentions to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft. The flight was cleared for a visual approach and landing at the departure airport. Captain flew a close-in visual approach while the first officer ran the QRH. First officer had trouble locating circuit breakers in the procedure. Shortly after, the toilet smoke message cleared. At this point, the aircraft was approximately a right base for landing and the captain realized the continuing need to get the aircraft on the ground and instructed the first officer to put the QRH away. Aircraft was configured gear down and flaps 30 degrees. Normal checklist protocol was used for selecting flaps 45 degrees and the before landing checklist. Captain landed the aircraft and cleared the runway. Captain realized in the hurry to land aircraft, the flight attendant was not notified of our intent to evacuate/evacuation passenger through the main cabin door (smoke appeared to be dissipating). Crash fire rescue equipment reported a large amount of smoke coming from the aft portion of the aircraft after landing. Captain was hand flying the aircraft and, with no smoke in the cockpit, and first officer doing the QRH, never donned his oxygen mask. I should have absolutely done this as smoke should always be taken seriously. I also feel a quick call to flight attendant to notify her of our intentions would have helped a great deal in making an uneventful evacuate/evacuation go even smoother. Total time from takeoff to landing was approximately 4-5 mins. Though initial findings by maintenance indicated the #2 pack did completely fail, I was misled by smoke bad enough to set off the toilet smoke caution message. With only a few mins in the air, I did not have time to completely finish the QRH procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REGIONAL JET CREW RPTED DENSE CABIN SMOKE JUST AFTER TKOF AT CVG.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT AND RPTED DENSE SMOKE IN THE CABIN. THE ACFT HAD A DEFERRED APU. THE CAPT THOUGHT THAT, DUE TO THE SMOKE IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, THAT AIR CONDITIONING SMOKE WAS A POSSIBILITY. WITH NO SMOKE PRESENT IN THE COCKPIT, WE TURNED OFF THE #2 PACK. THE FO (PNF) WAS THEN ASKED FOR THE CABIN SMOKE QRH. MOMENTS LATER, A 'TOILET SMOKE' CAUTION WAS RECEIVED. FO WAS REDIRECTED TO THAT QRH PROC. CAPT (PF) DECLARED AN EMER AND ADVISED ATC AS TO THE NATURE OF THE EMER AND OF OUR INTENTIONS TO EVAC THE ACFT. THE FLT WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG AT THE DEP ARPT. CAPT FLEW A CLOSE-IN VISUAL APCH WHILE THE FO RAN THE QRH. FO HAD TROUBLE LOCATING CIRCUIT BREAKERS IN THE PROC. SHORTLY AFTER, THE TOILET SMOKE MESSAGE CLRED. AT THIS POINT, THE ACFT WAS APPROX A R BASE FOR LNDG AND THE CAPT REALIZED THE CONTINUING NEED TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND AND INSTRUCTED THE FO TO PUT THE QRH AWAY. ACFT WAS CONFIGURED GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS 30 DEGS. NORMAL CHKLIST PROTOCOL WAS USED FOR SELECTING FLAPS 45 DEGS AND THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. CAPT LANDED THE ACFT AND CLRED THE RWY. CAPT REALIZED IN THE HURRY TO LAND ACFT, THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF OUR INTENT TO EVAC PAX THROUGH THE MAIN CABIN DOOR (SMOKE APPEARED TO BE DISSIPATING). CFR RPTED A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE AFT PORTION OF THE ACFT AFTER LNDG. CAPT WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT AND, WITH NO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, AND FO DOING THE QRH, NEVER DONNED HIS OXYGEN MASK. I SHOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY DONE THIS AS SMOKE SHOULD ALWAYS BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. I ALSO FEEL A QUICK CALL TO FLT ATTENDANT TO NOTIFY HER OF OUR INTENTIONS WOULD HAVE HELPED A GREAT DEAL IN MAKING AN UNEVENTFUL EVAC GO EVEN SMOOTHER. TOTAL TIME FROM TKOF TO LNDG WAS APPROX 4-5 MINS. THOUGH INITIAL FINDINGS BY MAINT INDICATED THE #2 PACK DID COMPLETELY FAIL, I WAS MISLED BY SMOKE BAD ENOUGH TO SET OFF THE TOILET SMOKE CAUTION MESSAGE. WITH ONLY A FEW MINS IN THE AIR, I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO COMPLETELY FINISH THE QRH PROCS.

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.