Narrative:

Immediately upon brake release for pushback from the gate, the lead flight attendant opened the cockpit door and stated there was an unusual odor in the cabin. The captain told the driver to hold the push and sent the so to investigate. The so returned almost immediately and stated there was a strong odor of burning electric fumes. The so returned to the cabin to investigate further. The captain called the operations control center and told them we had electric fumes and requested they have the gate agent return the jetway to the aircraft. The so returned to the cockpit and stated he had not located a source but several passenger sitting mid cabin overwing reported to him they had seen a small amount of smoke come out the gasper vents. The captain made the decision to deplane the passenger. As the jetway had still not been brought up to the aircraft and we could see the gate agents at the podium, the first officer called operations and requested the jetway immediately. A call was then made to ground control (ATC) requesting arff respond to the aircraft. The captain made a PA to the passenger telling them we were planning to deplane through the main cabin door and that as a precaution the fire department would be responding. As the jetway was still not moving the lead flight attendant recommended the aft stairs be lowered. The captain requested the tug driver have the ground crew lower the aft stairs and also asked if the tug driver could operate the jetway. The tug driver had the stairs lowered and proceeded to operate the jetway. Another request was made to operations control for an agent. The fire department arrived at the aircraft before a gate agent did! Passenger deplaned through main cabin door without incident. Cause of smoke and fumes was a shorted gasper fan motor. ATC and arff response was excellent with no hesitation. Most frustrating thing in this incident was the lack of response from company operations control center. Even after our third request they questioned our need for an agent. It wasn't until I told them the arff was en route that they took action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B727 DEPLANED PAX AT GATE AFTER STRONG ELECTRICAL FUMES WERE SMELLED IN THE CABIN AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE CABIN VENTS.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY UPON BRAKE RELEASE FOR PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE, THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND STATED THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL ODOR IN THE CABIN. THE CAPT TOLD THE DRIVER TO HOLD THE PUSH AND SENT THE SO TO INVESTIGATE. THE SO RETURNED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND STATED THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF BURNING ELECTRIC FUMES. THE SO RETURNED TO THE CABIN TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. THE CAPT CALLED THE OPS CTL CTR AND TOLD THEM WE HAD ELECTRIC FUMES AND REQUESTED THEY HAVE THE GATE AGENT RETURN THE JETWAY TO THE ACFT. THE SO RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND STATED HE HAD NOT LOCATED A SOURCE BUT SEVERAL PAX SITTING MID CABIN OVERWING RPTED TO HIM THEY HAD SEEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF SMOKE COME OUT THE GASPER VENTS. THE CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO DEPLANE THE PAX. AS THE JETWAY HAD STILL NOT BEEN BROUGHT UP TO THE ACFT AND WE COULD SEE THE GATE AGENTS AT THE PODIUM, THE FO CALLED OPS AND REQUESTED THE JETWAY IMMEDIATELY. A CALL WAS THEN MADE TO GND CTL (ATC) REQUESTING ARFF RESPOND TO THE ACFT. THE CAPT MADE A PA TO THE PAX TELLING THEM WE WERE PLANNING TO DEPLANE THROUGH THE MAIN CABIN DOOR AND THAT AS A PRECAUTION THE FIRE DEPT WOULD BE RESPONDING. AS THE JETWAY WAS STILL NOT MOVING THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT RECOMMENDED THE AFT STAIRS BE LOWERED. THE CAPT REQUESTED THE TUG DRIVER HAVE THE GND CREW LOWER THE AFT STAIRS AND ALSO ASKED IF THE TUG DRIVER COULD OPERATE THE JETWAY. THE TUG DRIVER HAD THE STAIRS LOWERED AND PROCEEDED TO OPERATE THE JETWAY. ANOTHER REQUEST WAS MADE TO OPS CTL FOR AN AGENT. THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED AT THE ACFT BEFORE A GATE AGENT DID! PAX DEPLANED THROUGH MAIN CABIN DOOR WITHOUT INCIDENT. CAUSE OF SMOKE AND FUMES WAS A SHORTED GASPER FAN MOTOR. ATC AND ARFF RESPONSE WAS EXCELLENT WITH NO HESITATION. MOST FRUSTRATING THING IN THIS INCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF RESPONSE FROM COMPANY OPS CTL CTR. EVEN AFTER OUR THIRD REQUEST THEY QUESTIONED OUR NEED FOR AN AGENT. IT WASN'T UNTIL I TOLD THEM THE ARFF WAS ENRTE THAT THEY TOOK ACTION.

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.