Narrative:

We got a call from the flight attendants saying that they saw smoke in the cabin. At this time we accomplished the recall items for smoke and fumes. I was flying the aircraft so I kept flying and took the radios. First officer accomplished the smoke and fumes air conditioning checklist; and coordination with the flight attendants to see if the smoke stopped. Our jumpseater helped clear and listen to the radios. We asked ATC for immediate vectors back for a landing. First officer ran the checklist and coordination with the flight attendants; eventually getting the smoke to stop. Almost immediately after we had the problem; I noticed our jumpseater sending an ACARS message; and asked him if he had notified the dispatcher. He said that he had and I thanked him for doing that. We accomplished the descent and approach checklists and set up for an approach to runway 9L. We told the flight attendants we would be landing and did not plan on an evacuate/evacuation since the smoke had stopped. We made a PA and said that we had taken care of the problem; the smoke had stopped; we were returning to atlanta and that we were not going to evacuate/evacuation the airplane. A flight operations manager talked to me and coordination with the on-duty chief pilot who cleared us to continue our trip. We went to our next airplane; and were told a call was for me; that it was dispatch and maintenance who wanted to talk to me. I got on the phone and answer the questions. I thought I was talking to the dispatcher. We got loaded up and pushed back again. ATC did not have our clearance; so we contacted the dispatcher. He informed me at that time that he had not been in the loop and had some questions from the sector manager. On the flight down to mia; I asked our jumpseater again about the ACARS message and he said he had sent an airborne return message. Upon arrival in mia; I spoke with the dispatcher; who put me in touch with the sector manager. I should have been more clear in asking our jumpseater what he told the dispatcher; and then when I got to the jetway for the second airplane; I should have made sure I knew who I was talking to once I was handed the phone. I was aware that I needed to talk to the dispatcher before we departed again; so I guess I was expecting that the call in the jetway was from the dispatcher; when it turns out it was a maintenance coordinator. Communications is touch when there is so much going on. Need to be very clear who you are speaking to.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MD88 FAIL TO KEEP DISPATCHER INFORMED OF FLT PROGRESS FOLLOWING RETURN TO DEP ARPT DUE TO SMOKE IN CABIN.

Narrative: WE GOT A CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAYING THAT THEY SAW SMOKE IN THE CABIN. AT THIS TIME WE ACCOMPLISHED THE RECALL ITEMS FOR SMOKE AND FUMES. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT SO I KEPT FLYING AND TOOK THE RADIOS. FO ACCOMPLISHED THE SMOKE AND FUMES AIR CONDITIONING CHKLIST; AND COORD WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE IF THE SMOKE STOPPED. OUR JUMPSEATER HELPED CLR AND LISTEN TO THE RADIOS. WE ASKED ATC FOR IMMEDIATE VECTORS BACK FOR A LNDG. FO RAN THE CHKLIST AND COORD WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS; EVENTUALLY GETTING THE SMOKE TO STOP. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER WE HAD THE PROB; I NOTICED OUR JUMPSEATER SENDING AN ACARS MESSAGE; AND ASKED HIM IF HE HAD NOTIFIED THE DISPATCHER. HE SAID THAT HE HAD AND I THANKED HIM FOR DOING THAT. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLISTS AND SET UP FOR AN APCH TO RWY 9L. WE TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS WE WOULD BE LNDG AND DID NOT PLAN ON AN EVAC SINCE THE SMOKE HAD STOPPED. WE MADE A PA AND SAID THAT WE HAD TAKEN CARE OF THE PROB; THE SMOKE HAD STOPPED; WE WERE RETURNING TO ATLANTA AND THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO EVAC THE AIRPLANE. A FLT OPS MGR TALKED TO ME AND COORD WITH THE ON-DUTY CHIEF PLT WHO CLRED US TO CONTINUE OUR TRIP. WE WENT TO OUR NEXT AIRPLANE; AND WERE TOLD A CALL WAS FOR ME; THAT IT WAS DISPATCH AND MAINT WHO WANTED TO TALK TO ME. I GOT ON THE PHONE AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. I THOUGHT I WAS TALKING TO THE DISPATCHER. WE GOT LOADED UP AND PUSHED BACK AGAIN. ATC DID NOT HAVE OUR CLRNC; SO WE CONTACTED THE DISPATCHER. HE INFORMED ME AT THAT TIME THAT HE HAD NOT BEEN IN THE LOOP AND HAD SOME QUESTIONS FROM THE SECTOR MGR. ON THE FLT DOWN TO MIA; I ASKED OUR JUMPSEATER AGAIN ABOUT THE ACARS MESSAGE AND HE SAID HE HAD SENT AN AIRBORNE RETURN MESSAGE. UPON ARR IN MIA; I SPOKE WITH THE DISPATCHER; WHO PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH THE SECTOR MGR. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE CLR IN ASKING OUR JUMPSEATER WHAT HE TOLD THE DISPATCHER; AND THEN WHEN I GOT TO THE JETWAY FOR THE SECOND AIRPLANE; I SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE I KNEW WHO I WAS TALKING TO ONCE I WAS HANDED THE PHONE. I WAS AWARE THAT I NEEDED TO TALK TO THE DISPATCHER BEFORE WE DEPARTED AGAIN; SO I GUESS I WAS EXPECTING THAT THE CALL IN THE JETWAY WAS FROM THE DISPATCHER; WHEN IT TURNS OUT IT WAS A MAINT COORDINATOR. COMS IS TOUCH WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON. NEED TO BE VERY CLR WHO YOU ARE SPEAKING TO.

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.