AN MD80S ON INITIAL CLB AT 8000 FT EXPERIENCED FUMES AND SMOKE IN THE CABIN CAUSED BY THE AUX PWR UNIT.

Narrative

IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING TKOF; AN ODOR SIMILAR TO THAT OF BURNING PLASTIC COULD BE DETECTED THROUGHOUT THE CABIN. A DFW BASED FLT ATTENDANT SEATED NEXT TO ME AT THE FORWARD ENTRY AREA DOUBLE JUMP SEAT ASKED ME IF I PUT A PLASTIC OBJECT INTO THE GALLEY OVEN BEFORE I TURNED IT ON. I TOLD HER NO AND SHE STOOD UP AND CHKED THE OVEN. BEFORE SHE SAT BACK DOWN IN THE JUMP SEAT; SHE GLANCED DOWN THE SINGLE AISLE AND OBSERVED SMOKE AT THE BACK OF THE CABIN. SHE THEN TOLD ME; 'OH NO...WE HAVE SMOKE IN THE CABIN;' THEN REACHED FOR THE PA/PHONE AND INFORMED THE CAPT; WHO WAS ALREADY COMMUNICATING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT SEATED AT THE TAILCONE EXIT JUMP SEAT. I THEN STOOD UP AND LOOKED TOWARD THE BACK OF THE ACFT AND OBSERVED ALL PAX SEATED LOOKING TOWARD THE BACK OF THE PLANE. THEY WERE; NO DOUBT; ALARMED; BUT VERY QUIET AND REMAINED SEATED. THE CAPT THEN MADE A PA; INFORMING EVERYONE THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH ONE OF THE AUX PWR UNITS AND THAT HE WOULD BE SHUTTING IT DOWN AND RESTARTING ANOTHER. IF THE SMOKE DID NOT CLR OUT OF THE CABIN; WE WOULD RETURN TO LGA. HE ALSO INFORMED EVERYONE THAT ALL OF HIS INSTS IN THE COCKPIT PERFORMED NORMALLY AND THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ACFT. MOMENTS LATER; THE CABIN CLRED. WE INFORMED THE CAPT AND CONTINUED ON TO DFW. ALL PAX REMAINED SEATED THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT. ONCE OUR CAPT REASSURED THEM THAT EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY; THEY WENT TO SLEEP. ONCE WE ARRIVED AT DFW; THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC.