Narrative:

The captain and first officer completed a normal preflight inspection. The aircraft was relatively clean with no mels or cdls. Aircraft loading; pushback; engine start; and taxi were all normal. Aircraft cleared to taxi. The first officer was flying the leg. At takeoff power application; captain noticed a slight; unidentifiable odor. At 100 knots plus; the odor was still present and intensifying but no other warnings. Rotation and gear retraction were normal with odor becoming very intense. At approximately 400 ft; the crc sounded with a red ECAM indicating main deck cargo smoke. Captain instructed the first officer to continue to fly the aircraft while the captain completed the checklist. The first officer declared an emergency with tower. After donning an oxygen mask; captain took the aircraft and told the first officer to don his oxygen mask. Crew established communications and requested an immediate return. The tower offered two runways. Captain chose; turned downwind and base; and tuned the ILS frequency and course. Captain instructed the first officer to put the gear down and complete the before landing checklist. The checklist was complete and aircraft stable at 1000 ft. Normal landing with aircraft coming to stop at intersection with taxiway charlie. Captain temporarily removed his oxygen mask to check for fumes and noted the continuing presence of very strong fumes. We contacted ground and the fire trucks and informed them that we were evacuating the aircraft. Captain reviewed the evacuation checklist and instructed the first officer to blow the slides. The left slide did not completely deploy (door blew open but the slide did not deploy). The right slide deployed normally. We completed the evacuation and gave the fire department the paperwork and aircraft. Regarding the ECAM described above; the left ECAM initially gave us a red 'main deck cargo smoke' indication that immediately changed to the amber ecams. It flashed back and forth from red to amber through several cycles and then remained on the amber ECAM page.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A310 RETURNS FOR IMMEDIATE LNDG AFTER EXPERIENCING A CARGO COMPARTMENT SMOKE WARNING ACCOMPANIED BY ACRID ODORS ON THE FLT DECK SHORTLY AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND FO COMPLETED A NORMAL PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. THE ACFT WAS RELATIVELY CLEAN WITH NO MELS OR CDLS. ACFT LOADING; PUSHBACK; ENGINE START; AND TAXI WERE ALL NORMAL. ACFT CLRED TO TAXI. THE FO WAS FLYING THE LEG. AT TAKEOFF POWER APPLICATION; CAPT NOTICED A SLIGHT; UNIDENTIFIABLE ODOR. AT 100 KNOTS PLUS; THE ODOR WAS STILL PRESENT AND INTENSIFYING BUT NO OTHER WARNINGS. ROTATION AND GEAR RETRACTION WERE NORMAL WITH ODOR BECOMING VERY INTENSE. AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FT; THE CRC SOUNDED WITH A RED ECAM INDICATING MAIN DECK CARGO SMOKE. CAPT INSTRUCTED THE FO TO CONTINUE TO FLY THE ACFT WHILE THE CAPT COMPLETED THE CHKLIST. THE FO DECLARED AN EMER WITH TOWER. AFTER DONNING AN OXYGEN MASK; CAPT TOOK THE ACFT AND TOLD THE FO TO DON HIS OXYGEN MASK. CREW ESTABLISHED COMS AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE RETURN. THE TOWER OFFERED TWO RWYS. CAPT CHOSE; TURNED DOWNWIND AND BASE; AND TUNED THE ILS FREQUENCY AND COURSE. CAPT INSTRUCTED THE FO TO PUT THE GEAR DOWN AND COMPLETE THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. THE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETE AND ACFT STABLE AT 1000 FT. NORMAL LNDG WITH ACFT COMING TO STOP AT INTERSECTION WITH TXWY CHARLIE. CAPT TEMPORARILY REMOVED HIS OXYGEN MASK TO CHECK FOR FUMES AND NOTED THE CONTINUING PRESENCE OF VERY STRONG FUMES. WE CONTACTED GROUND AND THE FIRE TRUCKS AND INFORMED THEM THAT WE WERE EVACUATING THE ACFT. CAPT REVIEWED THE EVACUATION CHKLIST AND INSTRUCTED THE FO TO BLOW THE SLIDES. THE L SLIDE DID NOT COMPLETELY DEPLOY (DOOR BLEW OPEN BUT THE SLIDE DID NOT DEPLOY). THE R SLIDE DEPLOYED NORMALLY. WE COMPLETED THE EVACUATION AND GAVE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT THE PAPERWORK AND ACFT. REGARDING THE ECAM DESCRIBED ABOVE; THE LEFT ECAM INITIALLY GAVE US A RED 'MAIN DECK CARGO SMOKE' INDICATION THAT IMMEDIATELY CHANGED TO THE AMBER ECAMS. IT FLASHED BACK AND FORTH FROM RED TO AMBER THROUGH SEVERAL CYCLES AND THEN REMAINED ON THE AMBER ECAM PAGE.

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.