Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Procedure; Aircraft
After departure; during climb out between 400-600 AGL the flight attendant(s) notified the flight deck of smoke in the cabin. Immediately following the call the flight deck was alerted with Master Flasher(s) and audible alert. The decision was made to not take hand off to departure; stay with tower and [request priority handling] at this time (Aircraft at 3000 feet). We were cleared for the visual and cleared to land. Turning final; the ACARS landing data was returned showing an overweight condition as suspected; the decision was made to proceed operating under the assumption trusting the visual/aural alerts and land overweight. Operations and dispatch were notified prior to landing; trucks were rolled and once aircraft reached the gate dispatch; maintenance control were contacted as well as the Regional Chief.When the flight attendants alerted the flight deck; they did so with a normal call. I knowing the crew knew something was wrong and took the call; should this be another Captain; the call may not have been answered. When making an overweight landing; the vertical speed at countdown is critical; why not have the pilot monitoring make vertical calls during landing for a more controlled touchdown. This smoke was apparently caused by an engine run the night before (2nd time this has happened this month from what I was told) not being ran long enough; a more thorough checklist by maintenance?
CRJ900 Captain was informed by the flight attendants at low altitude; during departure; of smoke in the cabin. Immediately after a smoke warning was annunciated in the cockpit. The flight returned to the departure airport for an overweight landing. The smoke was apparently caused by an engine wash the night before with Maintenance not running the engine long enough to rid the compressor of residual chemicals.