MD80 crew executed an emergency return to the departure airport following an unusual smell and smoke...

Attributes
ACN	655352
Time
Date	200504
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
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 : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	655352
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I took off out of ZZZ on runway 12L. Started right turn out to the west when flight attendant called up and informed us she had smoke in the cabin from around runway 27 back. It was cloudy back there and smelled 'metallic' she said. I had the first officer declare an emergency and we went around and landed on runway 12R as an overweight landing (134700 pounds). Landing was uneventful and smooth. Emergency vehicles followed us to our gate and came onboard to investigate and found nothing. No abnormalities were ever seen by us in the cockpit. 2 write-ups were made in logbook. One for the smoke in the cabin and the other for the overweight landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW EXECUTED AN EMER RETURN TO THE DEP ARPT FOLLOWING AN UNUSUAL SMELL AND SMOKE IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF OUT OF ZZZ ON RWY 12L. STARTED R TURN OUT TO THE W WHEN FLT ATTENDANT CALLED UP AND INFORMED US SHE HAD SMOKE IN THE CABIN FROM AROUND RWY 27 BACK. IT WAS CLOUDY BACK THERE AND SMELLED 'METALLIC' SHE SAID. I HAD THE FO DECLARE AN EMER AND WE WENT AROUND AND LANDED ON RWY 12R AS AN OVERWT LNDG (134700 LBS). LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND SMOOTH. EMER VEHICLES FOLLOWED US TO OUR GATE AND CAME ONBOARD TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND NOTHING. NO ABNORMALITIES WERE EVER SEEN BY US IN THE COCKPIT. 2 WRITE-UPS WERE MADE IN LOGBOOK. ONE FOR THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND THE OTHER FOR THE OVERWT LNDG.

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.

MD80 crew executed an emergency return to the departure airport following an unusual smell and smoke in the cabin.