MD80 crew just off sfo advised controller they needed to return land.

Attributes
ACN	624356
Time
Date	200407
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller limited radar : 12 controller radar : 2.5 flight time total : 191
ASRS Report	624356
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : separated traffic flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Air carrier X taxied out for departure runway 1R sfo 8 departure. On departure, 1 mi, air carrier X advised local control they needed to return for landing. Local control worked them in right traffic runway 28R. Traffic was sent around and/or moved to runway 28L to accommodate. Air carrier X was asked if declaring an emergency or needed assistance. 'No,' they replied. After landing it was discovered smoke in the cabin was the reason for returning. All of us in the tower would have felt more comfortable knowing this, and having declared the emergency ourselves. The aircraft taxied to the ramp.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW JUST OFF SFO ADVISED CTLR THEY NEEDED TO RETURN LAND.

Narrative: ACR X TAXIED OUT FOR DEP RWY 1R SFO 8 DEP. ON DEP, 1 MI, ACR X ADVISED LCL CTL THEY NEEDED TO RETURN FOR LNDG. LCL CTL WORKED THEM IN R TFC RWY 28R. TFC WAS SENT AROUND AND/OR MOVED TO RWY 28L TO ACCOMMODATE. ACR X WAS ASKED IF DECLARING AN EMER OR NEEDED ASSISTANCE. 'NO,' THEY REPLIED. AFTER LNDG IT WAS DISCOVERED SMOKE IN THE CABIN WAS THE REASON FOR RETURNING. ALL OF US IN THE TWR WOULD HAVE FELT MORE COMFORTABLE KNOWING THIS, AND HAVING DECLARED THE EMER OURSELVES. THE ACFT TAXIED TO THE RAMP.

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.