An air carrier flight is towed back in to the gate when there is an ECAM and flight attendant indica...

Attributes
ACN	476633
Time
Date	200006
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 108 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 108
ASRS Report	476633
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other other anomaly other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During pushback just after initiating start of #2 engine, call from flight attendant that they heard an explosion in the area behind the aft galley. Few seconds later, indication in the cockpit from ECAM 'smoke.' flight attendant immediately called back and reported smoke in the cabin. Captain ordered start discontinued, mechanics to tow us back to gate and for me to declare an emergency, call for the equipment and jetway driver. As we were being towed to the gate ECAM came up 'aft lavatory fire.' passenger were evacuate/evacuationed and smoke diminished. Took over 15 mins for fire trucks to reach aircraft. There was no fire and origin of smoke has not been determined yet. Flight attendant's in the back reported having metal tastes in mouth and throat from ingesting the smoke and problems with shortness of breath at occurrence. Everyone evacuate/evacuationed safely. Ramp tower does not call for equipment directly. Crews need to know this in order to call ATC directly for faster response. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the aircraft's aft 'chiller', a cooling cabinet chilled by dry ice in layered trays, overheated and evaporated the dry ice. During this overheat situation, there were 2 bags of pretzels in a parallel cabinet that exploded. This explains the 'explosive sound' heard by the cabin attendants. It does not explain the overheat or fire warning ensuing from the rear lav on this A319 aircraft. The flight attendant's said that there was rising smoke. The vapor from the dry ice should have descended. The maintenance and crash fire rescue equipment personnel had reasoned the above events as the probable set of circumstances. The captain, being unable to logically explain this weird sequence of events to the passenger that had turned into a mass exodus of the aircraft, called off duty from the flight as did the first officer. The company took the aircraft to the hangar. The flight departed later with a new aircraft and flight crew. The crew was later advised by their chief pilot that the ramp does not have the ability to call the crash fire rescue equipment equipment by radio. Reporter had her VHF #1 selector #2 set on ground control, but never thought to switch over to it for the emergency call.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLT IS TOWED BACK IN TO THE GATE WHEN THERE IS AN ECAM AND FLT ATTENDANT INDICATION OF SMOKE IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT DURING ENG START AND PUSHBACK AT CLT, NC.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK JUST AFTER INITIATING START OF #2 ENG, CALL FROM FLT ATTENDANT THAT THEY HEARD AN EXPLOSION IN THE AREA BEHIND THE AFT GALLEY. FEW SECONDS LATER, INDICATION IN THE COCKPIT FROM ECAM 'SMOKE.' FLT ATTENDANT IMMEDIATELY CALLED BACK AND RPTED SMOKE IN THE CABIN. CAPT ORDERED START DISCONTINUED, MECHS TO TOW US BACK TO GATE AND FOR ME TO DECLARE AN EMER, CALL FOR THE EQUIP AND JETWAY DRIVER. AS WE WERE BEING TOWED TO THE GATE ECAM CAME UP 'AFT LAVATORY FIRE.' PAX WERE EVACED AND SMOKE DIMINISHED. TOOK OVER 15 MINS FOR FIRE TRUCKS TO REACH ACFT. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND ORIGIN OF SMOKE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED YET. FA'S IN THE BACK RPTED HAVING METAL TASTES IN MOUTH AND THROAT FROM INGESTING THE SMOKE AND PROBS WITH SHORTNESS OF BREATH AT OCCURRENCE. EVERYONE EVACED SAFELY. RAMP TWR DOES NOT CALL FOR EQUIP DIRECTLY. CREWS NEED TO KNOW THIS IN ORDER TO CALL ATC DIRECTLY FOR FASTER RESPONSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT'S AFT 'CHILLER', A COOLING CABINET CHILLED BY DRY ICE IN LAYERED TRAYS, OVERHEATED AND EVAPORATED THE DRY ICE. DURING THIS OVERHEAT SIT, THERE WERE 2 BAGS OF PRETZELS IN A PARALLEL CABINET THAT EXPLODED. THIS EXPLAINS THE 'EXPLOSIVE SOUND' HEARD BY THE CABIN ATTENDANTS. IT DOES NOT EXPLAIN THE OVERHEAT OR FIRE WARNING ENSUING FROM THE REAR LAV ON THIS A319 ACFT. THE FA'S SAID THAT THERE WAS RISING SMOKE. THE VAPOR FROM THE DRY ICE SHOULD HAVE DSNDED. THE MAINT AND CFR PERSONNEL HAD REASONED THE ABOVE EVENTS AS THE PROBABLE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. THE CAPT, BEING UNABLE TO LOGICALLY EXPLAIN THIS WEIRD SEQUENCE OF EVENTS TO THE PAX THAT HAD TURNED INTO A MASS EXODUS OF THE ACFT, CALLED OFF DUTY FROM THE FLT AS DID THE FO. THE COMPANY TOOK THE ACFT TO THE HANGAR. THE FLT DEPARTED LATER WITH A NEW ACFT AND FLC. THE CREW WAS LATER ADVISED BY THEIR CHIEF PLT THAT THE RAMP DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO CALL THE CFR EQUIP BY RADIO. RPTR HAD HER VHF #1 SELECTOR #2 SET ON GND CTL, BUT NEVER THOUGHT TO SWITCH OVER TO IT FOR THE EMER CALL.

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.

An air carrier flight is towed back in to the gate when there is an ECAM and flight attendant indication of smoke in the rear of the aircraft during engine start and pushback at clt, nc.