Narrative:

After solving an exterior aft galley door handle problem between the B and C concourses at denver we attempted to restart engine #2. Duct pressure was lower than normal (approximately 15 psi) too low to start #2 engine. The captain verified all bleed and pack switches were in the proper position. He then added a small amount of power to engine #1 in hopes of increasing the duct pressure enough to start engine #2. Unfortunately the duct pressure did not increase nor did it increase after cycling the packs on-off and the APU bleed off-on. As the throttle was brought back to idle, the first flight attendant entered the cockpit and notified us that the cabin had started to fill with smoke. The captain looked back to confirm and to see just how much there actually was. We decided that we could expeditiously taxi to gate (2 gates away from where we were sitting) and deplane people off the gateway. I called ramp control at that time to notify them of our problem, severity and what we intended to do. I also told him to have the jetway ready and to call for emergency vehs. Upon arriving at the gate, no one had yet arrived to operate the jetway. We accomplished our evacuation cockpit procedures as the flight attendant initiated the evacuation. I attempted to get a ramp person to move the jetway for us by opening the cockpit window and yelling to him. By that time we were starting the evacuation process so I told him to get others and help people off the slides when they deploy. The captain was door 1R. The first flight attendant was at 1L. I stayed in between assisting people to the appropriate door and removing personal luggage and carry-ONS that most people were trying to carry with them. I also assisted a very elderly man who was partly blind to door 1L and 1 totally blind gentleman to 1L. Summary: the smoke had progressively gotten worse until the engines and APU were shutdown. At the time of the evacuation, I could not see past first class. I had tried to chime the aft flight attendants with the cockpit PA to notify them of our evacuation, however the PA system would not work. I did not notice at the time of evacuation the overhead emergency exit lights on, and that was later confirmed by the aft flight attendants. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. We used only the two front door exits right and left. The aft cabin was late being advised the aircraft was being evacuated because we lost all power and the PA was not operative so word was passed verbally by shouting. No lame or incapacitated people were seated at exit doors or windows that I know of although I helped one elderly person who needed help walking and one blind person. Only a sprained wrist or two occurred during the evacuation. Fortunately we were well out of the taxi corridor and close to the gate area where we could get ground help and assistance from company personnel.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMERGENCY EVACUATION AT GATE AREA DUE TO SMOKE IN CABIN.

Narrative: AFTER SOLVING AN EXTERIOR AFT GALLEY DOOR HANDLE PROB BTWN THE B AND C CONCOURSES AT DENVER WE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART ENG #2. DUCT PRESSURE WAS LOWER THAN NORMAL (APPROX 15 PSI) TOO LOW TO START #2 ENG. THE CAPT VERIFIED ALL BLEED AND PACK SWITCHES WERE IN THE PROPER POS. HE THEN ADDED A SMALL AMOUNT OF PWR TO ENG #1 IN HOPES OF INCREASING THE DUCT PRESSURE ENOUGH TO START ENG #2. UNFORTUNATELY THE DUCT PRESSURE DID NOT INCREASE NOR DID IT INCREASE AFTER CYCLING THE PACKS ON-OFF AND THE APU BLEED OFF-ON. AS THE THROTTLE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO IDLE, THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND NOTIFIED US THAT THE CABIN HAD STARTED TO FILL WITH SMOKE. THE CAPT LOOKED BACK TO CONFIRM AND TO SEE JUST HOW MUCH THERE ACTUALLY WAS. WE DECIDED THAT WE COULD EXPEDITIOUSLY TAXI TO GATE (2 GATES AWAY FROM WHERE WE WERE SITTING) AND DEPLANE PEOPLE OFF THE GATEWAY. I CALLED RAMP CTL AT THAT TIME TO NOTIFY THEM OF OUR PROB, SEVERITY AND WHAT WE INTENDED TO DO. I ALSO TOLD HIM TO HAVE THE JETWAY READY AND TO CALL FOR EMER VEHS. UPON ARRIVING AT THE GATE, NO ONE HAD YET ARRIVED TO OPERATE THE JETWAY. WE ACCOMPLISHED OUR EVACUATION COCKPIT PROCS AS THE FLT ATTENDANT INITIATED THE EVACUATION. I ATTEMPTED TO GET A RAMP PERSON TO MOVE THE JETWAY FOR US BY OPENING THE COCKPIT WINDOW AND YELLING TO HIM. BY THAT TIME WE WERE STARTING THE EVACUATION PROCESS SO I TOLD HIM TO GET OTHERS AND HELP PEOPLE OFF THE SLIDES WHEN THEY DEPLOY. THE CAPT WAS DOOR 1R. THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT WAS AT 1L. I STAYED IN BTWN ASSISTING PEOPLE TO THE APPROPRIATE DOOR AND REMOVING PERSONAL LUGGAGE AND CARRY-ONS THAT MOST PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO CARRY WITH THEM. I ALSO ASSISTED A VERY ELDERLY MAN WHO WAS PARTLY BLIND TO DOOR 1L AND 1 TOTALLY BLIND GENTLEMAN TO 1L. SUMMARY: THE SMOKE HAD PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE UNTIL THE ENGS AND APU WERE SHUTDOWN. AT THE TIME OF THE EVACUATION, I COULD NOT SEE PAST FIRST CLASS. I HAD TRIED TO CHIME THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS WITH THE COCKPIT PA TO NOTIFY THEM OF OUR EVACUATION, HOWEVER THE PA SYS WOULD NOT WORK. I DID NOT NOTICE AT THE TIME OF EVACUATION THE OVERHEAD EMER EXIT LIGHTS ON, AND THAT WAS LATER CONFIRMED BY THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. WE USED ONLY THE TWO FRONT DOOR EXITS R AND L. THE AFT CABIN WAS LATE BEING ADVISED THE ACFT WAS BEING EVACUATED BECAUSE WE LOST ALL PWR AND THE PA WAS NOT OPERATIVE SO WORD WAS PASSED VERBALLY BY SHOUTING. NO LAME OR INCAPACITATED PEOPLE WERE SEATED AT EXIT DOORS OR WINDOWS THAT I KNOW OF ALTHOUGH I HELPED ONE ELDERLY PERSON WHO NEEDED HELP WALKING AND ONE BLIND PERSON. ONLY A SPRAINED WRIST OR TWO OCCURRED DURING THE EVACUATION. FORTUNATELY WE WERE WELL OUT OF THE TAXI CORRIDOR AND CLOSE TO THE GATE AREA WHERE WE COULD GET GND HELP AND ASSISTANCE FROM COMPANY PERSONNEL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.