Narrative:

We taxied out at approximately XX30 local on mar/wed/96. As we entered the taxiway, the first officer and I noticed an odor that appeared to come from the first class galley area. I asked the flight attendant to check the galley oven. She had noticed an odor also, and when she opened the oven, I first noted smoke up at the ceiling in front of the oven. I turned off the galley power and looked back into the cabin. At that time I noticed a trace of smoke at the ceiling running the entire length of the aircraft. At this time the first officer and I both said the smell now was like that of an overheated pack. We checked all cockpit indications and nothing indicated that there was a problem with the pack system. We turned off the left pack and checked that the right pack and gasper fan were both off. The smoke still increased. I notified the flight attendant that we have to evacuate/evacuation and she briefed the other flight attendants. The first officer notified ground to dispatch the emergency equipment. We taxied into the ramp area and were given a gate assignment. Not knowing the source of the smoke and the fact that smoke level continued to build, I felt that the safest action was to stop the aircraft and evacuate/evacuation. I set the brakes, the first officer ran the emergency evacuate/evacuation checklist, and I went to the first class area to assist in the evacuate/evacuation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: aircraft was a B737-200. Reporter captain had friend in the maintenance department so was able to follow up on the cause of the smoke. The APU was inoperative and somehow oil from the APU leaked into the air-conditioning pack and when the pack was turned on, the oil caused the smoke to enter the aircraft cabin. The flight crew turned off the pack and the gasper fan, but the smoke didn't appear to dissipate. Reporter says that when a pack overheats on the B727, it gives off a distinctive odor and the odor from this smoke wasn't similar. Then, not knowing where the smoke was coming from, appearing to be getting worse and to park at the gate and wait for the jetway would take several mins, he made the decision to evacuate/evacuation. There were several minor injuries, sprains, etc, but another aircraft was provided for the flight and all passenger were on it. The reporter first officer on this flight refused to talk with this analyst because, as he said, he didn't know who I was or had any proof of identify.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMOKE ENTERED THE CABIN FROM UNKNOWN SOURCE. FLC AND FLT ATTENDANTS COORDINATED TO FIND AND CORRECT PROB, BUT IT BECAME WORSE. EVAC WAS ORDERED WHEN ACFT WAS ON THE RAMP WITH SOME MINOR INJURIES.

Narrative: WE TAXIED OUT AT APPROX XX30 LCL ON MAR/WED/96. AS WE ENTERED THE TXWY, THE FO AND I NOTICED AN ODOR THAT APPEARED TO COME FROM THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY AREA. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO CHK THE GALLEY OVEN. SHE HAD NOTICED AN ODOR ALSO, AND WHEN SHE OPENED THE OVEN, I FIRST NOTED SMOKE UP AT THE CEILING IN FRONT OF THE OVEN. I TURNED OFF THE GALLEY PWR AND LOOKED BACK INTO THE CABIN. AT THAT TIME I NOTICED A TRACE OF SMOKE AT THE CEILING RUNNING THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE ACFT. AT THIS TIME THE FO AND I BOTH SAID THE SMELL NOW WAS LIKE THAT OF AN OVERHEATED PACK. WE CHKED ALL COCKPIT INDICATIONS AND NOTHING INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A PROB WITH THE PACK SYS. WE TURNED OFF THE L PACK AND CHKED THAT THE R PACK AND GASPER FAN WERE BOTH OFF. THE SMOKE STILL INCREASED. I NOTIFIED THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT WE HAVE TO EVAC AND SHE BRIEFED THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS. THE FO NOTIFIED GND TO DISPATCH THE EMER EQUIP. WE TAXIED INTO THE RAMP AREA AND WERE GIVEN A GATE ASSIGNMENT. NOT KNOWING THE SOURCE OF THE SMOKE AND THE FACT THAT SMOKE LEVEL CONTINUED TO BUILD, I FELT THAT THE SAFEST ACTION WAS TO STOP THE ACFT AND EVAC. I SET THE BRAKES, THE FO RAN THE EMER EVAC CHKLIST, AND I WENT TO THE FIRST CLASS AREA TO ASSIST IN THE EVAC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ACFT WAS A B737-200. RPTR CAPT HAD FRIEND IN THE MAINT DEPT SO WAS ABLE TO FOLLOW UP ON THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE. THE APU WAS INOP AND SOMEHOW OIL FROM THE APU LEAKED INTO THE AIR-CONDITIONING PACK AND WHEN THE PACK WAS TURNED ON, THE OIL CAUSED THE SMOKE TO ENTER THE ACFT CABIN. THE FLC TURNED OFF THE PACK AND THE GASPER FAN, BUT THE SMOKE DIDN'T APPEAR TO DISSIPATE. RPTR SAYS THAT WHEN A PACK OVERHEATS ON THE B727, IT GIVES OFF A DISTINCTIVE ODOR AND THE ODOR FROM THIS SMOKE WASN'T SIMILAR. THEN, NOT KNOWING WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM, APPEARING TO BE GETTING WORSE AND TO PARK AT THE GATE AND WAIT FOR THE JETWAY WOULD TAKE SEVERAL MINS, HE MADE THE DECISION TO EVAC. THERE WERE SEVERAL MINOR INJURIES, SPRAINS, ETC, BUT ANOTHER ACFT WAS PROVIDED FOR THE FLT AND ALL PAX WERE ON IT. THE RPTR FO ON THIS FLT REFUSED TO TALK WITH THIS ANALYST BECAUSE, AS HE SAID, HE DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS OR HAD ANY PROOF OF IDENT.

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.