CRJ200 crew reported the smoke cargo warning illuminated in-flight. Emergency declared.

Attributes
ACN	627346
Time
Date	200408
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl single value : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : a90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 200 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1600
ASRS Report	627346
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	627347
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : smoke cargo warning other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Departed bos runway 22R. Within 1 min of takeoff, a 'smoke cargo' warning presented. The warning ceased after 3-5 seconds. The warning returned after 20-30 seconds. First officer was directed to assume the control of the radios. He engaged the autoplt. Captain performed the QRH checklist for smoke cargo warning. Emergency declared. ATC vectored flight for immediate return to land on runway 27. Communicated circumstance with flight attendant, asked for status of cabin. No presence of smoke, flame or odor reported by flight attendant. Uneventful landing performed by first officer. Aircraft taxied clear of landing runway onto taxiway west. Passenger evacuate/evacuation initiated utilizing only main cabin door. Passenger directed to congregate forward and upwind of aircraft. Crash fire rescue equipment informed of presence of halon vapor in cargo compartment. Evacuate/evacuation was orderly with no adverse circumstances or injuries noted. Aircraft was secured. First officer performed flawlessly. Strong asset to the successful outcome of this circumstance. Flight attendant performed ideally. Remained calm and calmed the passenger effecting, a calm and orderly evacuate/evacuation. ATC departure tower, and then ground, provided rapid, accurate help -- another strong asset. Crash fire rescue equipment was waiting for us. Met aircraft as we stopped and assisted with evacuate/evacuation. Supplemental information from acn 627347: captain did an incredible job. He performed the memory items and QRH properly. He then kept the flight attendant in the loop. Captain assisted me in configuring the airplane. He was calm and knew exactly what to do, and his command presence was never in doubt. The flight attendant did a wonderful job of keeping calm and portraying this to the passenger. She did her duties flawlessly. The crash fire rescue equipment was prompt and waiting for us. ATC did a wonderful job of getting us back.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 CREW RPTED THE SMOKE CARGO WARNING ILLUMINATED INFLT. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: DEPARTED BOS RWY 22R. WITHIN 1 MIN OF TKOF, A 'SMOKE CARGO' WARNING PRESENTED. THE WARNING CEASED AFTER 3-5 SECONDS. THE WARNING RETURNED AFTER 20-30 SECONDS. FO WAS DIRECTED TO ASSUME THE CTL OF THE RADIOS. HE ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT. CAPT PERFORMED THE QRH CHKLIST FOR SMOKE CARGO WARNING. EMER DECLARED. ATC VECTORED FLT FOR IMMEDIATE RETURN TO LAND ON RWY 27. COMMUNICATED CIRCUMSTANCE WITH FLT ATTENDANT, ASKED FOR STATUS OF CABIN. NO PRESENCE OF SMOKE, FLAME OR ODOR RPTED BY FLT ATTENDANT. UNEVENTFUL LNDG PERFORMED BY FO. ACFT TAXIED CLR OF LNDG RWY ONTO TXWY W. PAX EVAC INITIATED UTILIZING ONLY MAIN CABIN DOOR. PAX DIRECTED TO CONGREGATE FORWARD AND UPWIND OF ACFT. CFR INFORMED OF PRESENCE OF HALON VAPOR IN CARGO COMPARTMENT. EVAC WAS ORDERLY WITH NO ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES OR INJURIES NOTED. ACFT WAS SECURED. FO PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY. STRONG ASSET TO THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THIS CIRCUMSTANCE. FLT ATTENDANT PERFORMED IDEALLY. REMAINED CALM AND CALMED THE PAX EFFECTING, A CALM AND ORDERLY EVAC. ATC DEP TWR, AND THEN GND, PROVIDED RAPID, ACCURATE HELP -- ANOTHER STRONG ASSET. CFR WAS WAITING FOR US. MET ACFT AS WE STOPPED AND ASSISTED WITH EVAC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 627347: CAPT DID AN INCREDIBLE JOB. HE PERFORMED THE MEMORY ITEMS AND QRH PROPERLY. HE THEN KEPT THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE LOOP. CAPT ASSISTED ME IN CONFIGURING THE AIRPLANE. HE WAS CALM AND KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO, AND HIS COMMAND PRESENCE WAS NEVER IN DOUBT. THE FLT ATTENDANT DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF KEEPING CALM AND PORTRAYING THIS TO THE PAX. SHE DID HER DUTIES FLAWLESSLY. THE CFR WAS PROMPT AND WAITING FOR US. ATC DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF GETTING US BACK.

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.