Narrative:

Due to minimal information that was provided to the crew, as a crew we were able to evacuate/evacuation all the passenger without injury. I do believe that the cockpit crew could have called the #1 flight attendant and explained the problem and therefore #1 flight attendant could have called me, #2 flight attendant, in the back and I could have been more in control. The emergency lights never came on and the PA from the cockpit was directed to the passenger. No information was directed to the flight attendants. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that there was a mechanical delay while parked at the gate with full passenger load on board. Without any communication to the cabin attendants before hand, the pilot made an announcement that the passenger evacuate/evacuation through the forward passenger entry door without hand carried luggage as quickly as possible. The reporter was the #2 flight attendant and positioned in the aft galley at the time of the announcement. Her immediate response was to direct the passenger to the front of the aircraft. However, the passenger questioned why they could not go out the aft exits and the flight attendant was left in a near panic situation trying to explain why the forward exit was the only one when she didn't know herself due to the lack of communication from the flight crew. She also felt that she was trapped in the back again not knowing the nature of the evacuate/evacuation and panicking passenger. There was also smoke entering the cabin at this time adding to the problem. The reporter stated that flight crew to cabin attendant communication as to the nature of the mechanical and the method of evacuate/evacuation should have been presented to the cabin attendants onboard before the evacuate/evacuation announcement. The passenger evacuate/evacuationed without incident. The flight crew immediately went on to another aircraft to continue their flight. Their only comment was to tell the cabin attendants that they would think of them in cun as they were to continue their flight pattern. The cabin attendants were then asked by an agent to reboard the aircraft with the passenger to retrieve their bags. The reporter expressed fear and concern as to the nature of the mechanical and evacuate/evacuation had not been explained to them. The aircraft was taken OTS. The cabin attendants were escorted by supervisors who inquired about their safety but did not explain the details of the mechanical problem. To date the reporter does not know the nature of the mechanical and the resulting smoke and alleged fire. The cabin attendants were then released from duty.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE PARKED AT GATE ONBOARD B727, FLC ORDERED AN EMER EVAC THROUGH FORWARD PAX ENTRY DOOR CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL SYS FIRE WITH SMOKE IN THE CABIN. EVAC PERFORMED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ACFT TAKEN OTS.

Narrative: DUE TO MINIMAL INFO THAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE CREW, AS A CREW WE WERE ABLE TO EVAC ALL THE PAX WITHOUT INJURY. I DO BELIEVE THAT THE COCKPIT CREW COULD HAVE CALLED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND EXPLAINED THE PROB AND THEREFORE #1 FLT ATTENDANT COULD HAVE CALLED ME, #2 FLT ATTENDANT, IN THE BACK AND I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE IN CTL. THE EMER LIGHTS NEVER CAME ON AND THE PA FROM THE COCKPIT WAS DIRECTED TO THE PAX. NO INFO WAS DIRECTED TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE WAS A MECHANICAL DELAY WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE WITH FULL PAX LOAD ON BOARD. WITHOUT ANY COM TO THE CABIN ATTENDANTS BEFORE HAND, THE PLT MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE PAX EVAC THROUGH THE FORWARD PAX ENTRY DOOR WITHOUT HAND CARRIED LUGGAGE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE RPTR WAS THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND POSITIONED IN THE AFT GALLEY AT THE TIME OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT. HER IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS TO DIRECT THE PAX TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. HOWEVER, THE PAX QUESTIONED WHY THEY COULD NOT GO OUT THE AFT EXITS AND THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS LEFT IN A NEAR PANIC SIT TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHY THE FORWARD EXIT WAS THE ONLY ONE WHEN SHE DIDN'T KNOW HERSELF DUE TO THE LACK OF COM FROM THE FLC. SHE ALSO FELT THAT SHE WAS TRAPPED IN THE BACK AGAIN NOT KNOWING THE NATURE OF THE EVAC AND PANICKING PAX. THERE WAS ALSO SMOKE ENTERING THE CABIN AT THIS TIME ADDING TO THE PROB. THE RPTR STATED THAT FLC TO CABIN ATTENDANT COM AS TO THE NATURE OF THE MECHANICAL AND THE METHOD OF EVAC SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO THE CABIN ATTENDANTS ONBOARD BEFORE THE EVAC ANNOUNCEMENT. THE PAX EVACED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FLC IMMEDIATELY WENT ON TO ANOTHER ACFT TO CONTINUE THEIR FLT. THEIR ONLY COMMENT WAS TO TELL THE CABIN ATTENDANTS THAT THEY WOULD THINK OF THEM IN CUN AS THEY WERE TO CONTINUE THEIR FLT PATTERN. THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE THEN ASKED BY AN AGENT TO REBOARD THE ACFT WITH THE PAX TO RETRIEVE THEIR BAGS. THE RPTR EXPRESSED FEAR AND CONCERN AS TO THE NATURE OF THE MECHANICAL AND EVAC HAD NOT BEEN EXPLAINED TO THEM. THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS. THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE ESCORTED BY SUPVRS WHO INQUIRED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY BUT DID NOT EXPLAIN THE DETAILS OF THE MECHANICAL PROB. TO DATE THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW THE NATURE OF THE MECHANICAL AND THE RESULTING SMOKE AND ALLEGED FIRE. THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE THEN RELEASED FROM DUTY.

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.