RETURN LAND MANDATED BY SMOKE IN COCKPIT AND CABIN OF MD- 88 AFTER TKOF. FLC DISTR SMOKE IN COCKPIT. FLC FAMILIARITY WITH ACFT EQUIP PUB. FLC BEHAVIOR UNFAMILIAR WITH OP PROC.

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AFTER BOARDING THE ACFT WITH 130 PAX; 6 CREW; THE A-LINE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A HAZE OR MIST IN THE CABIN. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE CONDENSATION; BUT ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION WE DECIDED IT MIGHT BE AN OVERHEATED AIR CONDITIONING PACK. OUTSIDE TEMP WAS 88 DEGS. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; OUR APU QUIT AND WOULD NOT RESTART. WE REFERRED TO OUR MEL; COMPLIED WITH THE PROCS (PULLED CIRCUIT BREAKER/INSPECTED APU EXTERIOR DOORS) CALLED OUR DISPATCHER AND DEPARTED. WE HAD NO COMPANY MAINT AT THIS STATION. DURING THIS TIME ON THE GND A FLT ATTENDANT ASKED ME ABOUT A BAD DOOR SEAL IN THE REAR GALLEY AND I HAD SENT MY FO BACK TO INSPECT. SHORTLY AFTER BEING VECTORED N ON DEP; SMOKE STARTED TO ENTER THE CABIN/COCKPIT. WE WENT ON OXYGEN; DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED VECTORS INITIALLY FOR TYNDALL AFB BECAUSE OF THEIR LONGER RWY; BUT ON FURTHER CONSIDERATION WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO PFN. I TOLD MY FO TO RUN THE CHKLIST AND MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE A-LINE. I RECEIVED VECTORS FOR THE VOR 32 APCH BUT REQUESTED A LOWER ALT; PICKED UP THE FIELD VISUALLY; AND MADE A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 32. MY FO HAD TURNED OFF THE PACKS BY THIS TIME AND THE SMOKE HAD LESSENED TO A DEG. AFTER LNDG I DECIDED NOT TO EVAC BECAUSE THE SMOKE WAS DISSIPATING. FINDINGS: OIL LEAK IN APU HAD GOTTEN INTO AIR CONDITIONING DUCT. COMMENTS: THE APCH CTLR VECTORED US RIGHT AT THE FIELD RATHER THAN SETTING US UP TO INTERCEPT FINAL. HAD WE NOT SPOTTED THE RWY WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO SHOOT THE FULL VOR APCH; WASTING TIME. THE CHKLIST DID NOT ADDRESS TURNING OFF THE PACKS UNTIL LATE IN THE PROC; EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS THE LIKELY CAUSE. I FINALLY TOLD MY FO TO TURN THEM OFF. COM IS OBVIOUSLY DIFFICULT WHILE ON OXYGEN WITH EVERYONE TALKING AT ONCE. I DID THE FLYING AND COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. OUR MEL DID NOT CALL FOR AN INTERNAL INSPECTION OF APU AREA WHICH MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED PROB. WE HAD NO MAINT AT PFN.