Narrative:

While parked on ramp after lengthy delay exhaust smoke from aircraft being used to run our air conditioning pack was ingested into airplane. Aircraft doors were closed and armed and many passenger were asleep. I smelled the heavy diesel exhaust and was attempting to get someone or the ramp to check the aircraft when I got an indication in the cockpit that door 2R was open and also a left overwing emergency exit. Flight attendants called to say that passenger had smelled the exhaust and yelled fire. A passenger next to an overwing exit awoke to cries of 'fire' and immediately opened the overwing exit. She then looked around -- saw no fire and stopped. I immediately used the PA to reassure the passenger and request they not deplane. The door at 2R had not been opened far enough to activate the slide before a flight attendant had stopped the passenger. Lessons learned: since we now brief passenger in exit tows to be ready to open the exits, we must be quick to explain any activity which might not be understood 'in back.' at the first smell of exhaust fumes from outside, the packs should be turned off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX OPENED EMER EXIT DOOR AT THE GATE WHEN SOMEONE YELLED 'FIRE.'

Narrative: WHILE PARKED ON RAMP AFTER LENGTHY DELAY EXHAUST SMOKE FROM ACFT BEING USED TO RUN OUR AIR CONDITIONING PACK WAS INGESTED INTO AIRPLANE. ACFT DOORS WERE CLOSED AND ARMED AND MANY PAX WERE ASLEEP. I SMELLED THE HVY DIESEL EXHAUST AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET SOMEONE OR THE RAMP TO CHK THE ACFT WHEN I GOT AN INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT THAT DOOR 2R WAS OPEN AND ALSO A L OVERWING EMER EXIT. FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED TO SAY THAT PAX HAD SMELLED THE EXHAUST AND YELLED FIRE. A PAX NEXT TO AN OVERWING EXIT AWOKE TO CRIES OF 'FIRE' AND IMMEDIATELY OPENED THE OVERWING EXIT. SHE THEN LOOKED AROUND -- SAW NO FIRE AND STOPPED. I IMMEDIATELY USED THE PA TO REASSURE THE PAX AND REQUEST THEY NOT DEPLANE. THE DOOR AT 2R HAD NOT BEEN OPENED FAR ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE SLIDE BEFORE A FLT ATTENDANT HAD STOPPED THE PAX. LESSONS LEARNED: SINCE WE NOW BRIEF PAX IN EXIT TOWS TO BE READY TO OPEN THE EXITS, WE MUST BE QUICK TO EXPLAIN ANY ACTIVITY WHICH MIGHT NOT BE UNDERSTOOD 'IN BACK.' AT THE FIRST SMELL OF EXHAUST FUMES FROM OUTSIDE, THE PACKS SHOULD BE TURNED OFF.

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.