Narrative:

Smell and haze noticed first by coach flight attendants. Call came to purser. Smell and haze confirmed by purser and myself. Smell and haze became worse. Captain turned plane around to go back to ZZZ. When smell and smoke continued to worsen; purser requested if passenger O2 masks could be lowered. Most masks on right-hand side did not drop. Flight attendants manually opened compartments. Masks hard to activate -- needed a lot of force to pull out pin. Flight attendant O2 walk around bottles were secured with so many tight rubber bands as to make them very hard to access quickly. Flight attendants mostly used extra masks at seats. Smell was very strong and not recognizable. There was concern about the toxic possibility of the smoke and the haze.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter estimated that about 75% of the right side masks did not drop. The flight attendants using walk around bottles worked as rapidly as possible opening the faulty mask doors. The cabin crew was not told why the mask doors did not open.supplemental information from acn 798830: approaching level off at FL360; noticed an acrid smell. Within a few minutes a faint level of smoke began to fill cockpit. Cabin crew also reported smell. Emergency was declared and a return to ZZZ was initiated. Emergency procedures accomplished along with a descent to 9000 ft. Overweight landing accomplished.callback conversation with reporter acn 798830 revealed the following information: the reporter stated that an oil seal on the left engine failed allowing engine oil into the compressor section and in turn that air entered into the left pack causing smoke throughout the entire aircraft. The crew could not determine where the smoke was coming from but in retrospect the reporter believes that when the engine went to idle during the emergency descent; the smoke dissipated; then returned when the engine spooled up at 9000 ft. The second indication was on final with low engine power; the cockpit crew realized that the smoke had lessened and so removed their smoke masks and goggles. Reporter added that the final analysis for this entire crew was that they all performed well and given the circumstances and what information they had available; no crew action would be done differently.supplemental information from acn 798816: upon reaching cruise altitude FL360; flight crew smelled smoke in the cockpit. Flight attendant #1 confirmed presence of smoke in cabin as well. Smoke became visible in cockpit. Captain declared emergency with center. Flight crew donned masks and goggles. We proceeded direct to ZZZ and started to descend. Flight attendants stated that smoke was getting worse in cabin. Smoke still visible and getting worse in cockpit at 9000 ft with both recirc fans and packs off. Captain briefed flight attendants and made PA to passenger regarding situation and landing.callback conversation with reporter acn 798816 revealed the following information: the reporter stated that there was a great deal of communication between the flight station and cabin; primarily the flight attendant calling to determine the flight's status and time to land. The reporter does not remember any discussion about passenger O2 masks not dropping. The reporter does believe the entire crew worked well together.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757'S FLT CREW AND FLT ATTENDANT DETECTED SMOKE IN THE CABIN. AN EMER WAS DECLARED; SMOKE AND FIRE CHECKLIST COMPLETED AND FLT RETURNED TO LAND. ALLEGEDLY; ABOUT SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE CABIN'S RIGHT SIDE MASKS DID NOT DEPLOY.

Narrative: SMELL AND HAZE NOTICED FIRST BY COACH FLT ATTENDANTS. CALL CAME TO PURSER. SMELL AND HAZE CONFIRMED BY PURSER AND MYSELF. SMELL AND HAZE BECAME WORSE. CAPT TURNED PLANE AROUND TO GO BACK TO ZZZ. WHEN SMELL AND SMOKE CONTINUED TO WORSEN; PURSER REQUESTED IF PAX O2 MASKS COULD BE LOWERED. MOST MASKS ON RIGHT-HAND SIDE DID NOT DROP. FLT ATTENDANTS MANUALLY OPENED COMPARTMENTS. MASKS HARD TO ACTIVATE -- NEEDED A LOT OF FORCE TO PULL OUT PIN. FLT ATTENDANT O2 WALK AROUND BOTTLES WERE SECURED WITH SO MANY TIGHT RUBBER BANDS AS TO MAKE THEM VERY HARD TO ACCESS QUICKLY. FLT ATTENDANTS MOSTLY USED EXTRA MASKS AT SEATS. SMELL WAS VERY STRONG AND NOT RECOGNIZABLE. THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE TOXIC POSSIBILITY OF THE SMOKE AND THE HAZE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 75% OF THE RIGHT SIDE MASKS DID NOT DROP. THE FLT ATTENDANTS USING WALK AROUND BOTTLES WORKED AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE OPENING THE FAULTY MASK DOORS. THE CABIN CREW WAS NOT TOLD WHY THE MASK DOORS DID NOT OPEN.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 798830: APCHING LEVEL OFF AT FL360; NOTICED AN ACRID SMELL. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES A FAINT LEVEL OF SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL COCKPIT. CABIN CREW ALSO REPORTED SMELL. EMER WAS DECLARED AND A RETURN TO ZZZ WAS INITIATED. EMER PROCS ACCOMPLISHED ALONG WITH A DESCENT TO 9000 FT. OVERWEIGHT LNDG ACCOMPLISHED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 798830 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT AN OIL SEAL ON THE LEFT ENG FAILED ALLOWING ENG OIL INTO THE COMPRESSOR SECTION AND IN TURN THAT AIR ENTERED INTO THE LEFT PACK CAUSING SMOKE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE ACFT. THE CREW COULD NOT DETERMINE WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM BUT IN RETROSPECT THE REPORTER BELIEVES THAT WHEN THE ENG WENT TO IDLE DURING THE EMER DESCENT; THE SMOKE DISSIPATED; THEN RETURNED WHEN THE ENG SPOOLED UP AT 9000 FT. THE SECOND INDICATION WAS ON FINAL WITH LOW ENG POWER; THE COCKPIT CREW REALIZED THAT THE SMOKE HAD LESSENED AND SO REMOVED THEIR SMOKE MASKS AND GOGGLES. RPTR ADDED THAT THE FINAL ANALYSIS FOR THIS ENTIRE CREW WAS THAT THEY ALL PERFORMED WELL AND GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND WHAT INFORMATION THEY HAD AVAILABLE; NO CREW ACTION WOULD BE DONE DIFFERENTLY.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 798816: UPON REACHING CRUISE ALT FL360; FLT CREW SMELLED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. FLT ATTENDANT #1 CONFIRMED PRESENCE OF SMOKE IN CABIN AS WELL. SMOKE BECAME VISIBLE IN COCKPIT. CAPT DECLARED EMER WITH CTR. FLT CREW DONNED MASKS AND GOGGLES. WE PROCEEDED DIRECT TO ZZZ AND STARTED TO DESCEND. FLT ATTENDANTS STATED THAT SMOKE WAS GETTING WORSE IN CABIN. SMOKE STILL VISIBLE AND GETTING WORSE IN COCKPIT AT 9000 FT WITH BOTH RECIRC FANS AND PACKS OFF. CAPT BRIEFED FLT ATTENDANTS AND MADE PA TO PAX REGARDING SITUATION AND LNDG.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 798816 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE FLT STATION AND CABIN; PRIMARILY THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLING TO DETERMINE THE FLT'S STATUS AND TIME TO LAND. THE REPORTER DOES NOT REMEMBER ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT PAX O2 MASKS NOT DROPPING. THE REPORTER DOES BELIEVE THE ENTIRE CREW WORKED WELL TOGETHER.

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.