Narrative:

Just after takeoff at roughly 1000 ft AGL; we noted an unusual odor on the flight deck. I turned on my reading light and immediately noted a light smoke visible. Immediately thereafter we received an EICAS message for 'lav smoke.' we completed the appropriate procedures and checklists and the smoke subsided. In the mean time we declared an emergency and began returning to the airport. The flight attendant advised us that there was smoke in the cabin; but it was subsiding and there was no indication or visible evidence of smoke in the lav or the cargo compartment (there is a peep hole in the lav enabling one to see into the cargo bin). Because the conditions were improving; we landed; but did not evacuate the cabin. We had crash/fire/rescue examine our exterior for abnormal smoke/fire indication of which they found none. We returned to the gate and deplaned normally. This is a notable event to me because there were 5 such incidents in the past week involving 2 particular registration numbers in our fleet. Both aircraft were very new and had similar flight time logged on their respective engines. The problem was apparently caused by engine oil from some sort of faulty labyrinth seal finally ending up in our bleed line; which is the source of our air conditioning. This illustrates to me the need for better quality control methods at the engine assembly line. (Allison rolls-royce.) the engines had roughly 500 hours on them which is basically brand new. Smoke in the cabin can be catastrophic; and I do not believe this is a matter that should be overlooked as just bad luck. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this problem has been isolated to the last two airplanes delivered and has caused 5 incidents of smoke and odor and always on the first flight of the day. Maintenance believes the problem is caused by the airplanes being cold soaked overnight allowing a faulty labyrinth seal to leak oil internally to where it is picked up in the pneumatic system and distributed in the air conditioning system. These engines made by allison have 500 hours or less total time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 ON TKOF CLB AT 1000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED DUE TO ODOR AND LIGHT SMOKE IN COCKPIT AND CABIN. HAD EICAS 'LAV SMOKE' WARNING.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TKOF AT ROUGHLY 1000 FT AGL; WE NOTED AN UNUSUAL ODOR ON THE FLT DECK. I TURNED ON MY READING LIGHT AND IMMEDIATELY NOTED A LIGHT SMOKE VISIBLE. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER WE RECEIVED AN EICAS MESSAGE FOR 'LAV SMOKE.' WE COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE PROCS AND CHKLISTS AND THE SMOKE SUBSIDED. IN THE MEAN TIME WE DECLARED AN EMER AND BEGAN RETURNING TO THE ARPT. THE FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED US THAT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN; BUT IT WAS SUBSIDING AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OR VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF SMOKE IN THE LAV OR THE CARGO COMPARTMENT (THERE IS A PEEP HOLE IN THE LAV ENABLING ONE TO SEE INTO THE CARGO BIN). BECAUSE THE CONDITIONS WERE IMPROVING; WE LANDED; BUT DID NOT EVACUATE THE CABIN. WE HAD CRASH/FIRE/RESCUE EXAMINE OUR EXTERIOR FOR ABNORMAL SMOKE/FIRE INDICATION OF WHICH THEY FOUND NONE. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND DEPLANED NORMALLY. THIS IS A NOTABLE EVENT TO ME BECAUSE THERE WERE 5 SUCH INCIDENTS IN THE PAST WEEK INVOLVING 2 PARTICULAR REGISTRATION NUMBERS IN OUR FLEET. BOTH ACFT WERE VERY NEW AND HAD SIMILAR FLT TIME LOGGED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE ENGINES. THE PROB WAS APPARENTLY CAUSED BY ENG OIL FROM SOME SORT OF FAULTY LABYRINTH SEAL FINALLY ENDING UP IN OUR BLEED LINE; WHICH IS THE SOURCE OF OUR AIR CONDITIONING. THIS ILLUSTRATES TO ME THE NEED FOR BETTER QUALITY CTL METHODS AT THE ENG ASSEMBLY LINE. (ALLISON ROLLS-ROYCE.) THE ENGINES HAD ROUGHLY 500 HOURS ON THEM WHICH IS BASICALLY BRAND NEW. SMOKE IN THE CABIN CAN BE CATASTROPHIC; AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A MATTER THAT SHOULD BE OVERLOOKED AS JUST BAD LUCK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS PROB HAS BEEN ISOLATED TO THE LAST TWO AIRPLANES DELIVERED AND HAS CAUSED 5 INCIDENTS OF SMOKE AND ODOR AND ALWAYS ON THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. MAINT BELIEVES THE PROB IS CAUSED BY THE AIRPLANES BEING COLD SOAKED OVERNIGHT ALLOWING A FAULTY LABYRINTH SEAL TO LEAK OIL INTERNALLY TO WHERE IT IS PICKED UP IN THE PNEUMATIC SYSTEM AND DISTRIBUTED IN THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. THESE ENGINES MADE BY ALLISON HAVE 500 HOURS OR LESS TOTAL TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.