WDB ON DEP HAS SMOKE IN CABIN; RETURN LAND.

Narrative

AT ABOUT 800 FT FLT ATTENDANTS RANG THE COCKPIT USING THE EMER SIGNAL. THEY RPTED THAT THE AFT OF THE ACFT WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE L AFT LAVATORY SMOKE DETECTOR HAD GONE OFF. WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO LAX AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I ALSO MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX -- WE SHOT AN ILS TO RWY 25R (FO FLYING). WE LANDED SMOOTHLY AND TAXIED TO THE GATE WITH THE CRASH CREW FOLLOWING. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE TREATED FOR SMOKE INHALATION BY COMPANY MEDICAL. PRIOR TO INTERCEPTING GLIDE PATH -- WE WENT 400 FT BELOW ASSIGNED ALT. FO WAS FOLLOWING THE GS BECAUSE WE WERE SO CLOSE IN; BUT WE DID NOT HAVE APCH CLRNC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE IS NO DEFINITIVE ANSWER TO THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. FLT ATTENDANTS ARE NOT TO TURN ON THE OVENS UNTIL AFTER TKOF BUT THAT IS WHERE THE SMOKE SEEMED TO BE FROM. NO PAX WERE TREATED AS THEY WERE ALL SEATED FURTHER FORWARD AS ACFT HAD A LIGHT LOAD. MAINT CHKED BOTH ENGS; THE PACKS AND FIND NO PROB THERE. RPTR STATES HE WAS MET AT THE GATE BY FAA AND NEWS. WHAT A SURPRISE SINCE ACFT HAD LEFT THE ARPT A MERE 13-18 MIN BEFORE.