Narrative:

1) maintenance noted that there was a lot of oil leaking down the fan blades well; and thought that there was a broken seal. The maintenance personnel were first told to replace the oil pressure switches from both engines; which did not fix the problem. The #1 engine would then dip down to at most 27 psi each time that we had brought the thrust levers back down to idle. Maintenance control then asked that we go out; run up the engines to takeoff power for 3 mins; and look to see if there were any leaks. At takeoff power; there were no leaks seen; the oil pressure was in the green; but it was at most 20 psi different than the #2 engine. Once again; at idle thrust; the psi dropped down below limitations. Next course of action was a scavenger pump; and when this was installed the engines both checked out within limitations. So we accepted the aircraft to reposition it. I believe that the event occurred because by switching from the APU bleed to the engine bleeds; all of the excess oil from the engines had leaked and burned in the engine; possibly causing the smoke to flow through the packs; and therefore into the cabin. 2) we were doing a reposition flight. The aircraft had been written up twice already for low oil pressure indications on the ground after landing for engine #1. We showed up at the aircraft at XA30 am with the open write-up. We were easily able to recreate the oil low pressure with maintenance. I was the PNF; and after 10000 ft; I completed the 10000 ft flow as per SOP. After completing the flow; and the packs now running off of the engine bleeds; the captain and I both noticed that the cockpit had filled up with smoke. We both immediately donned our oxygen masks and completed our memory items. Then; in the cockpit; we had received a red EICAS message of 'lav smoke.' we declared an emergency and requested crash fire rescue equipment to meet us at the airport as well. We landed uneventfully in ZZZ and crash fire rescue equipment escorted us to the gate; and told us there were no signs of fire. 3) the cabin had filled up with smoke; and there were white fumes which had the smell of burning oil. 4) once the cabin had filled up with smoke; we immediately donned oxygen masks; and declared an emergency and requested direct back to ZZZ. We were only about 40 mi out when the event occurred. 5) this aircraft had been written up twice in the past for the low oil pressure on the engines. This could have been prevented if the issue was taken more seriously than just adding a few quarts of oil every time there was a red warning message about low oil pressure. I believe that everything we had done was exercised with good judgement; good CRM; and per SOP.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 FLT CREW RETURNED TO THEIR TAKEOFF ARPT WHEN THE COCKPIT AND CABIN FILLED WITH WHITE SMOKE.

Narrative: 1) MAINT NOTED THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF OIL LEAKING DOWN THE FAN BLADES WELL; AND THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A BROKEN SEAL. THE MAINT PERSONNEL WERE FIRST TOLD TO REPLACE THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCHES FROM BOTH ENGS; WHICH DID NOT FIX THE PROB. THE #1 ENG WOULD THEN DIP DOWN TO AT MOST 27 PSI EACH TIME THAT WE HAD BROUGHT THE THRUST LEVERS BACK DOWN TO IDLE. MAINT CTL THEN ASKED THAT WE GO OUT; RUN UP THE ENGS TO TKOF PWR FOR 3 MINS; AND LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY LEAKS. AT TKOF PWR; THERE WERE NO LEAKS SEEN; THE OIL PRESSURE WAS IN THE GREEN; BUT IT WAS AT MOST 20 PSI DIFFERENT THAN THE #2 ENG. ONCE AGAIN; AT IDLE THRUST; THE PSI DROPPED DOWN BELOW LIMITATIONS. NEXT COURSE OF ACTION WAS A SCAVENGER PUMP; AND WHEN THIS WAS INSTALLED THE ENGS BOTH CHKED OUT WITHIN LIMITATIONS. SO WE ACCEPTED THE ACFT TO REPOSITION IT. I BELIEVE THAT THE EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE BY SWITCHING FROM THE APU BLEED TO THE ENG BLEEDS; ALL OF THE EXCESS OIL FROM THE ENGS HAD LEAKED AND BURNED IN THE ENG; POSSIBLY CAUSING THE SMOKE TO FLOW THROUGH THE PACKS; AND THEREFORE INTO THE CABIN. 2) WE WERE DOING A REPOSITION FLT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP TWICE ALREADY FOR LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATIONS ON THE GND AFTER LNDG FOR ENG #1. WE SHOWED UP AT THE ACFT AT XA30 AM WITH THE OPEN WRITE-UP. WE WERE EASILY ABLE TO RECREATE THE OIL LOW PRESSURE WITH MAINT. I WAS THE PNF; AND AFTER 10000 FT; I COMPLETED THE 10000 FT FLOW AS PER SOP. AFTER COMPLETING THE FLOW; AND THE PACKS NOW RUNNING OFF OF THE ENG BLEEDS; THE CAPT AND I BOTH NOTICED THAT THE COCKPIT HAD FILLED UP WITH SMOKE. WE BOTH IMMEDIATELY DONNED OUR OXYGEN MASKS AND COMPLETED OUR MEMORY ITEMS. THEN; IN THE COCKPIT; WE HAD RECEIVED A RED EICAS MESSAGE OF 'LAV SMOKE.' WE DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED CFR TO MEET US AT THE ARPT AS WELL. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN ZZZ AND CFR ESCORTED US TO THE GATE; AND TOLD US THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF FIRE. 3) THE CABIN HAD FILLED UP WITH SMOKE; AND THERE WERE WHITE FUMES WHICH HAD THE SMELL OF BURNING OIL. 4) ONCE THE CABIN HAD FILLED UP WITH SMOKE; WE IMMEDIATELY DONNED OXYGEN MASKS; AND DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED DIRECT BACK TO ZZZ. WE WERE ONLY ABOUT 40 MI OUT WHEN THE EVENT OCCURRED. 5) THIS ACFT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP TWICE IN THE PAST FOR THE LOW OIL PRESSURE ON THE ENGS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE ISSUE WAS TAKEN MORE SERIOUSLY THAN JUST ADDING A FEW QUARTS OF OIL EVERY TIME THERE WAS A RED WARNING MESSAGE ABOUT LOW OIL PRESSURE. I BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING WE HAD DONE WAS EXERCISED WITH GOOD JUDGEMENT; GOOD CRM; AND PER SOP.

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.