Narrative:

During engine start on pushback a flight attendant called on the interphone to report a fire. At that time the forward cabin flight attendant knocked and entered the cockpit and announced there was a fire on #1 engine. I noticed that the first class passenger on the left side were up and I also heard 2 different voices yelling fire. The captain set the brakes and ordered an evacuate/evacuation of the aircraft. During the engine start itself, all indications were normal. As the captain made his announcement to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft, I shut down the #1 engine and positioned the flap handle to flaps 40. The checklist was accomplished and as I left the cockpit to assist the cabin crew the airplane was empty of any passenger. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: first officer reported that the passenger on the starboard side actually got out onto the right wing before any action initiated by the cabin attendants. The passenger were nervous over the 'torching' effect and obviously the situation got out of hand about the time the PIC announced for the passenger to release their seat belts and evacuate/evacuation. The crew felt that an evacuate/evacuation had to take place as they did not know what was going on back there, except that the cabin attendants had reported 'a fire' related to the engine. First officer believes that the fire went out as engine spooled up but then it was too late to change directions. There is no door warning light on the overwing exits -- is this an oversight in aircraft design or certification procedures? First officer further stated that the ground crew made a remark reference the start by saying that it was a bright one, indicating that it had torched. No other remark was made to indicate any major problems with engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EVACED AFTER ENG FIRE WAS NOTED BY PAX AND CABIN ATTENDANTS DURING THE ENG START PROC IN RAMP OP PUSHBACK.

Narrative: DURING ENG START ON PUSHBACK A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE TO RPT A FIRE. AT THAT TIME THE FORWARD CABIN FLT ATTENDANT KNOCKED AND ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND ANNOUNCED THERE WAS A FIRE ON #1 ENG. I NOTICED THAT THE FIRST CLASS PAX ON THE L SIDE WERE UP AND I ALSO HEARD 2 DIFFERENT VOICES YELLING FIRE. THE CAPT SET THE BRAKES AND ORDERED AN EVAC OF THE ACFT. DURING THE ENG START ITSELF, ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. AS THE CAPT MADE HIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO EVAC THE ACFT, I SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENG AND POSITIONED THE FLAP HANDLE TO FLAPS 40. THE CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND AS I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO ASSIST THE CABIN CREW THE AIRPLANE WAS EMPTY OF ANY PAX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FO RPTED THAT THE PAX ON THE STARBOARD SIDE ACTUALLY GOT OUT ONTO THE R WING BEFORE ANY ACTION INITIATED BY THE CABIN ATTENDANTS. THE PAX WERE NERVOUS OVER THE 'TORCHING' EFFECT AND OBVIOUSLY THE SIT GOT OUT OF HAND ABOUT THE TIME THE PIC ANNOUNCED FOR THE PAX TO RELEASE THEIR SEAT BELTS AND EVAC. THE CREW FELT THAT AN EVAC HAD TO TAKE PLACE AS THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON BACK THERE, EXCEPT THAT THE CABIN ATTENDANTS HAD RPTED 'A FIRE' RELATED TO THE ENG. FO BELIEVES THAT THE FIRE WENT OUT AS ENG SPOOLED UP BUT THEN IT WAS TOO LATE TO CHANGE DIRECTIONS. THERE IS NO DOOR WARNING LIGHT ON THE OVERWING EXITS -- IS THIS AN OVERSIGHT IN ACFT DESIGN OR CERTIFICATION PROCS? FO FURTHER STATED THAT THE GND CREW MADE A REMARK REF THE START BY SAYING THAT IT WAS A BRIGHT ONE, INDICATING THAT IT HAD TORCHED. NO OTHER REMARK WAS MADE TO INDICATE ANY MAJOR PROBS WITH ENG.

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.