Narrative:

We departed ZZZ on runway 9L bound for tpa. The preflight, taxi, and takeoff were normal. After takeoff, I felt and heard a rumble in the aircraft and noticed a high vibration indication on the left engine. Just seconds later, the vibration indication returned to normal with no other indication of a problem. We continued the departure. As we climbed through approximately 15000 ft, I asked the first officer if he smelled smoke. He said he did, and shortly thereafter, the purser called to say she smelled smoke as well. The first officer and I felt that the smoke was electrical in nature and that the intensity was increasing. We as a crew could not identify a source for the odor. We stopped our climb at approximately FL260 and declared an emergency with ZTL. They gave us priority handling and a clearance to descend and return to ZZZ. We advised the dispatcher via ACARS of our turn-back. The first officer told the purser and the passenger that we were returning to ZZZ because of smoke problem. In the process, we completed the smoke or fumes or fire electrical checklist. Shortly thereafter, the intensity of the smoke decreased significantly and wasn't noticeable in the flight deck. The purser said that there were times when she thought the smoke had dissipated and other times when she thought it had recurred. To my knowledge, we never had a visual indication of smoke and the intensity was never severe. The descent and landing were all normal. We landed on runway 9R and taxied clear of runway 9L to have the emergency vehicles examine the aircraft for any indication of damage, fire, or smoke. There was none. We felt an evacuate/evacuation was not necessary and taxied to gate with the emergency equipment following the aircraft. We deplaned the aircraft in an orderly manner with no indication of medical problems to any of the crew or passenger. After the passenger departed, we made a logbook write-up and gave maintenance personnel a detailed description of what occurred. In retrospect, I would have also run the smoke or fumes removal checklist. Although the smoke or fumes were not that significant, the new boeing checklist lists a relatively new priority guideline for smoke and fume events that have you 1) plan to land, 2) ventilate, then 3) identify. We essentially completed steps #1 and #3. Supplemental information from acn 634506: the fire marshal examined the aircraft for any indication of damage, fire or smoke. There was none. We were met at the gate by assistant chief pilot, and representatives of maintenance, customer service, and the fire marshal. Postflt discussion with captain, we decided given a similar situation, it would be better if I, the first officer flew the airplane and facilitated the captain talking directly to the flight attendants. In retrospect, performing the smoke elimination checklist may have made the smoke odor dissipate quicker.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-200 CREW SMELLED SMOKE OR ODOR THAT WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ZZZ ON RWY 9L BOUND FOR TPA. THE PREFLT, TAXI, AND TKOF WERE NORMAL. AFTER TKOF, I FELT AND HEARD A RUMBLE IN THE ACFT AND NOTICED A HIGH VIBRATION INDICATION ON THE L ENG. JUST SECONDS LATER, THE VIBRATION INDICATION RETURNED TO NORMAL WITH NO OTHER INDICATION OF A PROB. WE CONTINUED THE DEP. AS WE CLBED THROUGH APPROX 15000 FT, I ASKED THE FO IF HE SMELLED SMOKE. HE SAID HE DID, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PURSER CALLED TO SAY SHE SMELLED SMOKE AS WELL. THE FO AND I FELT THAT THE SMOKE WAS ELECTRICAL IN NATURE AND THAT THE INTENSITY WAS INCREASING. WE AS A CREW COULD NOT IDENT A SOURCE FOR THE ODOR. WE STOPPED OUR CLB AT APPROX FL260 AND DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZTL. THEY GAVE US PRIORITY HANDLING AND A CLRNC TO DSND AND RETURN TO ZZZ. WE ADVISED THE DISPATCHER VIA ACARS OF OUR TURN-BACK. THE FO TOLD THE PURSER AND THE PAX THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO ZZZ BECAUSE OF SMOKE PROB. IN THE PROCESS, WE COMPLETED THE SMOKE OR FUMES OR FIRE ELECTRICAL CHKLIST. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE INTENSITY OF THE SMOKE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AND WASN'T NOTICEABLE IN THE FLT DECK. THE PURSER SAID THAT THERE WERE TIMES WHEN SHE THOUGHT THE SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED AND OTHER TIMES WHEN SHE THOUGHT IT HAD RECURRED. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE NEVER HAD A VISUAL INDICATION OF SMOKE AND THE INTENSITY WAS NEVER SEVERE. THE DSCNT AND LNDG WERE ALL NORMAL. WE LANDED ON RWY 9R AND TAXIED CLR OF RWY 9L TO HAVE THE EMER VEHICLES EXAMINE THE ACFT FOR ANY INDICATION OF DAMAGE, FIRE, OR SMOKE. THERE WAS NONE. WE FELT AN EVAC WAS NOT NECESSARY AND TAXIED TO GATE WITH THE EMER EQUIP FOLLOWING THE ACFT. WE DEPLANED THE ACFT IN AN ORDERLY MANNER WITH NO INDICATION OF MEDICAL PROBS TO ANY OF THE CREW OR PAX. AFTER THE PAX DEPARTED, WE MADE A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP AND GAVE MAINT PERSONNEL A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF WHAT OCCURRED. IN RETROSPECT, I WOULD HAVE ALSO RUN THE SMOKE OR FUMES REMOVAL CHKLIST. ALTHOUGH THE SMOKE OR FUMES WERE NOT THAT SIGNIFICANT, THE NEW BOEING CHKLIST LISTS A RELATIVELY NEW PRIORITY GUIDELINE FOR SMOKE AND FUME EVENTS THAT HAVE YOU 1) PLAN TO LAND, 2) VENTILATE, THEN 3) IDENT. WE ESSENTIALLY COMPLETED STEPS #1 AND #3. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 634506: THE FIRE MARSHAL EXAMINED THE ACFT FOR ANY INDICATION OF DAMAGE, FIRE OR SMOKE. THERE WAS NONE. WE WERE MET AT THE GATE BY ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT, AND REPRESENTATIVES OF MAINT, CUSTOMER SVC, AND THE FIRE MARSHAL. POSTFLT DISCUSSION WITH CAPT, WE DECIDED GIVEN A SIMILAR SIT, IT WOULD BE BETTER IF I, THE FO FLEW THE AIRPLANE AND FACILITATED THE CAPT TALKING DIRECTLY TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. IN RETROSPECT, PERFORMING THE SMOKE ELIMINATION CHKLIST MAY HAVE MADE THE SMOKE ODOR DISSIPATE QUICKER.

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.