Narrative:

During pushback while starting engine #1, the mechanic indicated a possible torching of engine. Aft flight attendant called to report possible fire. First flight attendant knocked and entered cockpit to report possible fire. Stopped the pushback and ordered evacuate/evacuation based on flight attendant's reports and the fact that I could see passenger standing in the galley area at door in apparent panic, ready to evacuate/evacuation themselves. The first officer and flight attendants later reported having heard passenger yelling 'fire.' another airline pilot sitting in the cabin confirmed the chronology and added that an overwing exit was opened by a passenger prior to the aircraft being stopped and prior to the order to evacuate/evacuation. He also reported that he overheard a passenger, subsequent to the evacuate/evacuation, bragged that he was out on the wing before the aircraft stopped. Cockpit duties were performed according to published procedures. All safety equipment operated normally. No injuries were reported. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that it was necessary to evacuate/evacuation all passenger during the 'pushback' since the passenger had panicked at what fire they had seen and were evacuating on their own. Some passenger were already out on the wing through the emergency over the wing exit opposite to the engine showing a fire. Everyone evacuate/evacuationed without injury and were already inside the terminal via the 'jetway' before the flight crew could 'jump' out of the aircraft. In the meantime, there was no fire. The #1 engine (left side) did emit fire ('engine torched') due to a 'hot' start but was immediately consumed when the engine actually started. The reporting captain is concerned about the lack of training for such an eventuality since there is no procedure in place for a 2-PERSON flight crew to communication to the dispatch, flight attendants and the ground personnel all at the same time, which was needed in this instance. Even though passenger are reminded to remain seated, there is no way to stop them if a panic starts (liken to a cattle stampede).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG ACFT ORDERED A PAX EVAC AFTER PAX PANICKED UPON SEEING FLAMES FROM A 'HOT START.'

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK WHILE STARTING ENG #1, THE MECH INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORCHING OF ENG. AFT FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO RPT POSSIBLE FIRE. FIRST FLT ATTENDANT KNOCKED AND ENTERED COCKPIT TO RPT POSSIBLE FIRE. STOPPED THE PUSHBACK AND ORDERED EVAC BASED ON FLT ATTENDANT'S RPTS AND THE FACT THAT I COULD SEE PAX STANDING IN THE GALLEY AREA AT DOOR IN APPARENT PANIC, READY TO EVAC THEMSELVES. THE FO AND FLT ATTENDANTS LATER RPTED HAVING HEARD PAX YELLING 'FIRE.' ANOTHER AIRLINE PLT SITTING IN THE CABIN CONFIRMED THE CHRONOLOGY AND ADDED THAT AN OVERWING EXIT WAS OPENED BY A PAX PRIOR TO THE ACFT BEING STOPPED AND PRIOR TO THE ORDER TO EVAC. HE ALSO RPTED THAT HE OVERHEARD A PAX, SUBSEQUENT TO THE EVAC, BRAGGED THAT HE WAS OUT ON THE WING BEFORE THE ACFT STOPPED. COCKPIT DUTIES WERE PERFORMED ACCORDING TO PUBLISHED PROCS. ALL SAFETY EQUIP OPERATED NORMALLY. NO INJURIES WERE RPTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO EVAC ALL PAX DURING THE 'PUSHBACK' SINCE THE PAX HAD PANICKED AT WHAT FIRE THEY HAD SEEN AND WERE EVACUATING ON THEIR OWN. SOME PAX WERE ALREADY OUT ON THE WING THROUGH THE EMER OVER THE WING EXIT OPPOSITE TO THE ENG SHOWING A FIRE. EVERYONE EVACED WITHOUT INJURY AND WERE ALREADY INSIDE THE TERMINAL VIA THE 'JETWAY' BEFORE THE FLC COULD 'JUMP' OUT OF THE ACFT. IN THE MEANTIME, THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE #1 ENG (L SIDE) DID EMIT FIRE ('ENG TORCHED') DUE TO A 'HOT' START BUT WAS IMMEDIATELY CONSUMED WHEN THE ENG ACTUALLY STARTED. THE RPTING CAPT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF TRAINING FOR SUCH AN EVENTUALITY SINCE THERE IS NO PROC IN PLACE FOR A 2-PERSON FLC TO COM TO THE DISPATCH, FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE GND PERSONNEL ALL AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH WAS NEEDED IN THIS INSTANCE. EVEN THOUGH PAX ARE REMINDED TO REMAIN SEATED, THERE IS NO WAY TO STOP THEM IF A PANIC STARTS (LIKEN TO A CATTLE STAMPEDE).

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.