CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; S80; SAN-DFW. APU BROKEN BEFORE BOARDING; LEAKING OIL; DEFERRED. AFTER TKOF; SMOKE; FUMES IN CABIN. DSNDED TO 10000 FT; SMOKE CLRED.

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OUR APU BROKE DOWN BEFORE BOARDING AND THERE WAS OIL ON THE GND. WE WERE ABLE TO DEPART WITH THIS BROKEN. THE CAPT TOLD US AND THE PAX TO EXPECT A WEIRD SMELL AND A LITTLE SMOKE THAT SHOULD DISSIPATE QUICKLY. HE ALSO ASKED US TO MONITOR THE SMOKE AND KEEP HIM INFORMED OF ANY EXCESS SMOKE. RIGHT AFTER TKOF; THE SMOKE CAME IN AND SOON FILLED THE CABIN. ALL FLT ATTENDANTS WERE IN JUMP SEATS AND WE CALLED EACH OTHER; CONCERNED IT WAS NOT GOING AWAY. WE WERE IN STERILE COCKPIT SO; THANKFULLY; THE CAPT WAS LISTENING TO US AND WE BEGAN COMMUNICATING. THE PAX WERE WORRIED AND AGREED THE SMOKE WAS NOT LEAVING. THE CAPT CAME ON THE PA AND SAID WE WOULD DSND DOWN TO 9000 FT AND DO SOMETHING THAT WAS ON THEIR CHKLIST AND IF THE SMOKE DIDN'T DISAPPEAR WE WOULD RETURN TO SAN DIEGO. THE SMOKE DID CLR AT 9000 FT AND WE CONTINUED TO DALLAS. I CHKED PAX; OK IN INJURIES; BECAUSE SOME PAX AND CREW HAD SORE THROATS AND THEIR EYES BURNED. NO ONE WAS TREATED; AS FAR AS I KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHO OUR CAPT WAS PERSONALLY; BUT HE DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF COMMUNICATING AND BEING HONEST WITH THE CREW AND PAX. HE'S A ROLE MODEL FOR EMER SITS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT SHE MEANT TO WRITE THAT IT WAS THE APU THAT WAS BROKEN BEFORE BOARDING; NOT THE PSU. AFTER LEARNING THAT THE PAX WERE COMPLAINING OF SORE THROATS AND BURNING EYES; THE CAPT DSNDED TO 10000 FT AND DEPRESSURIZED THE CABIN TO ALLOW THE SMOKE AND SMELL TO DISSIPATE. ONCE THE SMOKE HAD DISSIPATED; THEY CLBED BACK UP TO THEIR CRUISE ALT. THE PAX WERE QUITE NERVOUS ABOUT THE SIT.