Narrative:

Aircraft returns jfk due smoke/fumes in cockpit/cabin. About 3 or 4 mins after a normal takeoff from jfk, and at 7000 ft, the #2 flight attendant called the cockpit and reported a smell of smoke and a haze developing in the cabin. I noticed the smell in the cockpit and a very light haze in front of the flight instruments. After a short troubleshooting period, in accordance with the checklist, we could not isolate the problem and the haze and smoke appeared to be increasing. Flight attendants said that the passenger were becoming very nervous and the sound in a very senior flight attendant's voice indicated to me that the situation was deteriorating. At this point, we declared an emergency and returned to jfk where we made an uneventful overweight landing. Total flight time was 12 mins off to on. After landing, we taxied off the runway and stopped the aircraft. We had crash fire rescue equipment crew inspect the exterior of the aircraft, then follow us to the gate with no further incident. At the gate, there was still a haze in the cabin and the #1 flight attendant and, to my knowledge, 1 passenger complained of eye irritation. The passenger denied medical attention when offered. I would like to make special note of the extraordinary job the crew did during this flight. The first officer, his second flight after IOE, who was the pilot at the controls until the actual landing, performed like a seasoned veteran of the MD80. Thanks especially to the flight attendants who had to deal with passenger who were already uptight and anxious due to an earlier security problem during boarding (we departed 1.5 hours late). They were courteous, proficient and they performed their most important job as a safety professional flawlessly. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain reports maintenance found an oil leak in the APU that was contaminating the pneumatic system with APU turbine oil. This then caused the reported smoke and fumes. After the oil leak was repaired, maintenance 'burned out' the system. The problem has not recurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD SMOKE, FUMES IN THE CABIN AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: ACFT RETURNS JFK DUE SMOKE/FUMES IN COCKPIT/CABIN. ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINS AFTER A NORMAL TKOF FROM JFK, AND AT 7000 FT, THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT AND RPTED A SMELL OF SMOKE AND A HAZE DEVELOPING IN THE CABIN. I NOTICED THE SMELL IN THE COCKPIT AND A VERY LIGHT HAZE IN FRONT OF THE FLT INSTS. AFTER A SHORT TROUBLESHOOTING PERIOD, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHKLIST, WE COULD NOT ISOLATE THE PROB AND THE HAZE AND SMOKE APPEARED TO BE INCREASING. FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THAT THE PAX WERE BECOMING VERY NERVOUS AND THE SOUND IN A VERY SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT'S VOICE INDICATED TO ME THAT THE SIT WAS DETERIORATING. AT THIS POINT, WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO JFK WHERE WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL OVERWT LNDG. TOTAL FLT TIME WAS 12 MINS OFF TO ON. AFTER LNDG, WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND STOPPED THE ACFT. WE HAD CFR CREW INSPECT THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACFT, THEN FOLLOW US TO THE GATE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. AT THE GATE, THERE WAS STILL A HAZE IN THE CABIN AND THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, 1 PAX COMPLAINED OF EYE IRRITATION. THE PAX DENIED MEDICAL ATTN WHEN OFFERED. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SPECIAL NOTE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY JOB THE CREW DID DURING THIS FLT. THE FO, HIS SECOND FLT AFTER IOE, WHO WAS THE PLT AT THE CTLS UNTIL THE ACTUAL LNDG, PERFORMED LIKE A SEASONED VETERAN OF THE MD80. THANKS ESPECIALLY TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS WHO HAD TO DEAL WITH PAX WHO WERE ALREADY UPTIGHT AND ANXIOUS DUE TO AN EARLIER SECURITY PROB DURING BOARDING (WE DEPARTED 1.5 HRS LATE). THEY WERE COURTEOUS, PROFICIENT AND THEY PERFORMED THEIR MOST IMPORTANT JOB AS A SAFETY PROFESSIONAL FLAWLESSLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT RPTS MAINT FOUND AN OIL LEAK IN THE APU THAT WAS CONTAMINATING THE PNEUMATIC SYS WITH APU TURBINE OIL. THIS THEN CAUSED THE RPTED SMOKE AND FUMES. AFTER THE OIL LEAK WAS REPAIRED, MAINT 'BURNED OUT' THE SYS. THE PROB HAS NOT RECURRED.

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.