Narrative:

We were climbing through FL270 when the cabin crew called to let us know that there were fumes and a light; hazy smoke in the cabin. I called for the cabin fire checklist and declared an emergency with center. After the boldface; I took the aircraft and directed the first officer to run the checklist. We returned to ZZZ1 as it was the closest; suitable airport regarding area and local WX. The smoke dissipated quickly in the cabin with the acrid odor of the fumes lingering. We were given expeditious handling by ATC. The landing was uneventful. We pulled off the runway with the emergency vehicles following. The cabin crew stated that there was no trace of smoke and just a lingering odor inside the cabin. The fire chief relayed that there was no evidence of smoke or fire outside. I decided that the safest course of action was to taxi to the gate and disembark the customers through the jetway. Because of the emergency situation; I relied on the first officer to run the checklist as getting the aircraft on the ground was my first priority. The first officer complained about not being able to understand me well through the mask at the start of the event; so we were not able to run the checklist as much as a challenge/response as normal. There was a lot of coordination with center and just flying the airplane that kept me busy. We landed safely without further incident but I should have monitored the checklists and cabin crew coordination better. I should have taken more care and time to ensure clear crew communications with the first officer. The oxygen mask was a hindrance but it should not have stopped us from coordinating the running of the checklist better.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS SMOKE AND FUMES IN CABIN PASSING FL270 DURING CLIMB. EMERGENCY DECLARED AND FLT CREW RETURNS FOR UNEVENTFUL LANDING.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL270 WHEN THE CABIN CREW CALLED TO LET US KNOW THAT THERE WERE FUMES AND A LIGHT; HAZY SMOKE IN THE CABIN. I CALLED FOR THE CABIN FIRE CHKLIST AND DECLARED AN EMER WITH CTR. AFTER THE BOLDFACE; I TOOK THE ACFT AND DIRECTED THE FO TO RUN THE CHKLIST. WE RETURNED TO ZZZ1 AS IT WAS THE CLOSEST; SUITABLE ARPT REGARDING AREA AND LCL WX. THE SMOKE DISSIPATED QUICKLY IN THE CABIN WITH THE ACRID ODOR OF THE FUMES LINGERING. WE WERE GIVEN EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING BY ATC. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE PULLED OFF THE RWY WITH THE EMER VEHICLES FOLLOWING. THE CABIN CREW STATED THAT THERE WAS NO TRACE OF SMOKE AND JUST A LINGERING ODOR INSIDE THE CABIN. THE FIRE CHIEF RELAYED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE OR FIRE OUTSIDE. I DECIDED THAT THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO TAXI TO THE GATE AND DISEMBARK THE CUSTOMERS THROUGH THE JETWAY. BECAUSE OF THE EMER SIT; I RELIED ON THE FO TO RUN THE CHKLIST AS GETTING THE ACFT ON THE GND WAS MY FIRST PRIORITY. THE FO COMPLAINED ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ME WELL THROUGH THE MASK AT THE START OF THE EVENT; SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO RUN THE CHKLIST AS MUCH AS A CHALLENGE/RESPONSE AS NORMAL. THERE WAS A LOT OF COORD WITH CTR AND JUST FLYING THE AIRPLANE THAT KEPT ME BUSY. WE LANDED SAFELY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT BUT I SHOULD HAVE MONITORED THE CHKLISTS AND CABIN CREW COORD BETTER. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE CARE AND TIME TO ENSURE CLR CREW COMS WITH THE FO. THE OXYGEN MASK WAS A HINDRANCE BUT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED US FROM COORDINATING THE RUNNING OF THE CHKLIST BETTER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.