Narrative:

While taxiing out for takeoff to runway 21C, flight attendant contacted flight deck to report that there was smoke in the cabin. I asked her if it was smoke or condensation. She stated it was smoke. I asked her if she could identify the source. Approximately 5-10 seconds later, we received a 'smoke lavatory' message. I informed the crew that we would be evacing the aircraft. I brought the aircraft to a stop in a runup area. (My thought was to put some distance between my aircraft and the other aircraft near us so passenger would not be exiting into or near the jetblast of other aircraft.) I initiated the ground evacuate/evacuation procedure and informed ATC that we had smoke in the cabin and were evacing the aircraft. After aircraft was secured, I passed through the cabin and exited through the aft galley door insuring no passenger or crew were still on board aircraft. I did notice a moderate amount of white smoke in the upper area of the cabin. All onboard exits were used and no injuries were reported by passenger or crew. Possible damage occurred to the emergency exit hatches. There were 31 passenger and a crew of 3. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: crew was flying a DO328 aircraft. The company did not inform the captain what the problem was. The reporter has alerted his union air safety representatives. The reporter has since flown this aircraft with no further problems. At the time of the flight, the maintenance log page describing the problem and maintenance corrective action had been removed. The pilot contacted his chief pilot, but got no information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D328 CREW HAD SMOKE IN THE CABIN ON TAXI OUT. THE ACFT WAS EVACED.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF TO RWY 21C, FLT ATTENDANT CONTACTED FLT DECK TO RPT THAT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE CABIN. I ASKED HER IF IT WAS SMOKE OR CONDENSATION. SHE STATED IT WAS SMOKE. I ASKED HER IF SHE COULD IDENT THE SOURCE. APPROX 5-10 SECONDS LATER, WE RECEIVED A 'SMOKE LAVATORY' MESSAGE. I INFORMED THE CREW THAT WE WOULD BE EVACING THE ACFT. I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP IN A RUNUP AREA. (MY THOUGHT WAS TO PUT SOME DISTANCE BTWN MY ACFT AND THE OTHER ACFT NEAR US SO PAX WOULD NOT BE EXITING INTO OR NEAR THE JETBLAST OF OTHER ACFT.) I INITIATED THE GND EVAC PROC AND INFORMED ATC THAT WE HAD SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND WERE EVACING THE ACFT. AFTER ACFT WAS SECURED, I PASSED THROUGH THE CABIN AND EXITED THROUGH THE AFT GALLEY DOOR INSURING NO PAX OR CREW WERE STILL ON BOARD ACFT. I DID NOTICE A MODERATE AMOUNT OF WHITE SMOKE IN THE UPPER AREA OF THE CABIN. ALL ONBOARD EXITS WERE USED AND NO INJURIES WERE RPTED BY PAX OR CREW. POSSIBLE DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE EMER EXIT HATCHES. THERE WERE 31 PAX AND A CREW OF 3. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW WAS FLYING A DO328 ACFT. THE COMPANY DID NOT INFORM THE CAPT WHAT THE PROB WAS. THE RPTR HAS ALERTED HIS UNION AIR SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES. THE RPTR HAS SINCE FLOWN THIS ACFT WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. AT THE TIME OF THE FLT, THE MAINT LOG PAGE DESCRIBING THE PROB AND MAINT CORRECTIVE ACTION HAD BEEN REMOVED. THE PLT CONTACTED HIS CHIEF PLT, BUT GOT NO INFO.

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.