Narrative:

Aircraft zzy was taxied out of the gate at XA11 local on a flight from iad to jfk. The aircraft departed the gate and was cleared to taxi to runway 19R. During the taxi to runway 19R all taxi checks with the exception of the ttl check had been accomplished. While holding behind several aircraft for runway 19R, the ttl check was completed. While waiting for several aircraft to arrive and depart, my first officer looked back towards the passenger cabin area. He immediately notified me that he saw smoke in the cabin by seat 1A and 2A. I turned and saw smoke emitting from the overhead lighting panel of seat 1A. The aircraft was taxied into the run-up block of runway 19R. The aircraft was brought to a stop and an emergency evacuate/evacuation was executed and safely completed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was evacuate/evacuationed on the basis of visible smoke observed in the passenger cabin by the first officer. The reporter said it later was discovered an overhead air conditioning duct had separated allowing cool moist air fog to flow around the overhead lighting panels. The reporter said the actions of the crew in this incident were criticized by the company management for not leaving the cockpit and checking the reported smoke or condensed air.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A JETSTREAM 3100 ON TXWY PRIOR TO TKOF DECLARED AN EMER AND EVACED THE ACFT DUE TO SMOKE IN THE PAX CABIN CAUSED BY A SEPARATED AIR CONDITIONING DUCT.

Narrative: ACFT ZZY WAS TAXIED OUT OF THE GATE AT XA11 LCL ON A FLT FROM IAD TO JFK. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE GATE AND WAS CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 19R. DURING THE TAXI TO RWY 19R ALL TAXI CHKS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE TTL CHK HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. WHILE HOLDING BEHIND SEVERAL ACFT FOR RWY 19R, THE TTL CHK WAS COMPLETED. WHILE WAITING FOR SEVERAL ACFT TO ARRIVE AND DEPART, MY FO LOOKED BACK TOWARDS THE PAX CABIN AREA. HE IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED ME THAT HE SAW SMOKE IN THE CABIN BY SEAT 1A AND 2A. I TURNED AND SAW SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE OVERHEAD LIGHTING PANEL OF SEAT 1A. THE ACFT WAS TAXIED INTO THE RUN-UP BLOCK OF RWY 19R. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP AND AN EMER EVAC WAS EXECUTED AND SAFELY COMPLETED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS EVACED ON THE BASIS OF VISIBLE SMOKE OBSERVED IN THE PAX CABIN BY THE FO. THE RPTR SAID IT LATER WAS DISCOVERED AN OVERHEAD AIR CONDITIONING DUCT HAD SEPARATED ALLOWING COOL MOIST AIR FOG TO FLOW AROUND THE OVERHEAD LIGHTING PANELS. THE RPTR SAID THE ACTIONS OF THE CREW IN THIS INCIDENT WERE CRITICIZED BY THE COMPANY MGMNT FOR NOT LEAVING THE COCKPIT AND CHKING THE RPTED SMOKE OR CONDENSED AIR.

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.