Date: 201910
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: A319
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Takeoff / Launch
Airspace: Class C ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Aircraft component: APU Pneumatic System & Ducting
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: On takeoff; about 500 feet; I smelled smoke or something burning. The FO (First Officer) was the Flying Pilot on this leg. The FO asked first; if I smelled smoke. I said I did. I finished the after takeoff checklist and called the flight attendants on the inter-phone and asked if the ovens were on and asked if they smelled anything. I think at first they said no and the ovens were off. I turned on cockpit dome light to see if I could see smoke. I could not. The FO said he is going on oxygen. I said good idea. I called the flight attendants again and now they smelled something burning. I told them we are turning around and we'd be on the ground in a few minutes.I [requested priority handling with ATC] and put on my oxygen mask. The FO took over the radio and told ATC we need to return to ZZZ. I was having trouble communicating to the FO. He was on oxygen and head set; I was on oxygen and speaker. I heard ATC clear us direct to ZZZ. I tried to change destination in the FMGC. It was not immediately apparent to do this so I instead put in direct to ZZZ. I then put on my head set and confirmed communicating with the FO. [It] wasn't until this point that I actually stated you have the aircraft and radio. I sent an ACARS to Dispatch. All I had time to text was [7700 ZZZ SMOKE].I finally loaded ZZZ as a new destination and I put in XXL in the FMGC then asked what runway he wanted. He ask for XXR. I changed it to XXR. He asked me for direct ZZZZZ. The FO asked if I wanted to drop the mask for passengers. I said NO - I explained why later. ZZZZZ wasn't line selectable so I gave him ZZZZZ1 instead. I took over the radio and notified ATC that we were now direct ZZZZZ1. I asked ATC to have Crash Fire Rescue meet us on the runway. I saw we were below 3;000 feet; so I switched the weather radar off and put terrain on and asked FO if he'd like 2;200 feet in the altitude window for the approach fix floor instead of 2;000 feet. He said yes.At about 1;000 feet AGL; Tower asked us to switch to XXX.XX to speak directly to CFR (Crash Fire Rescue). I also started the APU at about 800 feet and called XXX.XX. We landed and stopped straight ahead on the runway. I commanded the FO to say REMAIN SEATED on the PA. He did I think three times. I asked the CFR guys to check us out and use the heat gun for hot spots. I set the parking brake and took off my mask. The FO took off his mask. I tried to call the FAs (Flight Attendant) but there was too much side tone to hear because [of] our oxygen mask; though off; were on intercom. I needed to know if we had actually smoke or fire so I directed the FO to jump in the back and have a look.CFR called as soon as the FO left the flight deck and said no fire or hot spots but a little smoke from bottom of engine one. I shut engine 1 down normal. No flight deck indications of smoke or fire at any time. Just smell. I got the speaker set and intercom off and talked to FAs. They said everything was okay. I made my first and only PA explaining CFR around us. With the FO back we decided to taxi to the gate with CFR to follow. The smoke smell was gone. With engine two running we started to taxi and I turned the APU bleed on to run both packs. The FA called and said the smoke smell is back so I decided to shut off all bleed air switches front engines and APU. The CFR guys called taxing up to gate and said we have a small hot spot under our APU. I shut down engine two at the gate. We got ground power and shut down the APU.The CFR and Maintenance guys came into the flight deck right after we did the parking checklist. I called Dispatch on the phone; then the [Chief Pilot]; [and] then [Technical Support Maintenance Control]. We deplaned the passengers normally at the gate. I never saw the people. By the time I got out of the flight deck it was crew. We debriefed with the flight attendants; CFR and Maintenance. It should be noted I never actually wrote the aircraft up. [Technical Support Maintenance Control] said the FMGC timed out and they would take care of it. I did complete and fill out a maintenance smoke checklist for them.




Synopsis: A319 Captain reported smelling smoke in the cockpit and elected to return to departure airport.