Narrative:

Because of smoke in the aircraft, passenger were deplaned at the gate before the engine started. The forward entry and rear stairs were used. A passenger, on his own, deployed and used the rear galley slide. No injures were reported. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he initially thought that the fire started in the cockpit, so he turned all the electrical power off. When he opened the cockpit door, he saw all this smoke in the cabin, so he told the lead flight attendant to get the people off as fast as possible. The flight attendant grabbed a megaphone and told the passenger to get off the plane quickly and leave their belongings. The captain had a ramp person open the aft airstairs from the outside (the only way they can be opened and lowered). 2 flight attendants were up front herding people off and one was in the back deplaning people through the aft airstairs. The passenger who deployed the galley slide was a frequent flyer who thought he was doing the right thing. About 3 people, besides him, jumped down the slide, some carrying their briefcases, suitcases, etc. The whole situation started with an inoperative APU, so they were using an APU cart, which was probably disconnected too quick, which may have caused the smoke because they lost the cooling fans on the packs. The plane was taken OTS and passenger rerouted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, S80, AT GATE, SMOKE IN ACFT, EVAC THROUGH FRONT DOOR AND REAR STAIRS. PAX DEPLOYED AND USED REAR GALLEY SLIDE. NO INJURIES.

Narrative: BECAUSE OF SMOKE IN THE ACFT, PAX WERE DEPLANED AT THE GATE BEFORE THE ENG STARTED. THE FORWARD ENTRY AND REAR STAIRS WERE USED. A PAX, ON HIS OWN, DEPLOYED AND USED THE REAR GALLEY SLIDE. NO INJURES WERE RPTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE INITIALLY THOUGHT THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE COCKPIT, SO HE TURNED ALL THE ELECTRICAL PWR OFF. WHEN HE OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR, HE SAW ALL THIS SMOKE IN THE CABIN, SO HE TOLD THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO GET THE PEOPLE OFF AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. THE FLT ATTENDANT GRABBED A MEGAPHONE AND TOLD THE PAX TO GET OFF THE PLANE QUICKLY AND LEAVE THEIR BELONGINGS. THE CAPT HAD A RAMP PERSON OPEN THE AFT AIRSTAIRS FROM THE OUTSIDE (THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN BE OPENED AND LOWERED). 2 FLT ATTENDANTS WERE UP FRONT HERDING PEOPLE OFF AND ONE WAS IN THE BACK DEPLANING PEOPLE THROUGH THE AFT AIRSTAIRS. THE PAX WHO DEPLOYED THE GALLEY SLIDE WAS A FREQUENT FLYER WHO THOUGHT HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING. ABOUT 3 PEOPLE, BESIDES HIM, JUMPED DOWN THE SLIDE, SOME CARRYING THEIR BRIEFCASES, SUITCASES, ETC. THE WHOLE SIT STARTED WITH AN INOP APU, SO THEY WERE USING AN APU CART, WHICH WAS PROBABLY DISCONNECTED TOO QUICK, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE SMOKE BECAUSE THEY LOST THE COOLING FANS ON THE PACKS. THE PLANE WAS TAKEN OTS AND PAX REROUTED.

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.