Narrative:

While taxiing for departure on runway 26L in atl, we were almost to the top of the hill on taxiway east when I instructed the first officer to make his predep announcement. As he was on the PA, the flight attendant chime started ringing continuously and was responded to by the first officer. As I was listening to the communication from the cabin, I heard one of the flight attendants say that there was smoke and fumes coming from the vents and that passenger were having difficulty breathing. I stopped the aircraft to assess the situation. I told the first officer to have the flight attendants be prepared to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft. I called the tower and advised that we were stopping the aircraft and that we would be evacing the aircraft. The flight attendant advised that the fumes smelled like plastic burning and I could hear passenger yelling in the backgnd. I covered the appropriate items in the smoke and fumes checklist and accomplished the evacuate/evacuation checklist except for discharging the fire bottles. I then announced to the passenger that we were going to evacuate/evacuation and for them to carefully follow the flight attendant's instructions. I then gave the command to evacuate/evacuation. Supplemental information from acn 558131: the first, or one of the first, people out of the door and down a slide sustained minor cuts on her face when she slid face-first after catching her shoes on the top of the slider. I made one more call to ground and ensured the emergency crews were en route, which they were. 116 passenger, 3 flight attendants, and lastly 2 pilot evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft with emergency personnel present. Apparently, from first reports on the scene, the APU had ingested some hydraulic fluid and this was causing the smoke.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, WHILE TAXIING FOR TKOF AT ATL, EXPERIENCED SMOKE AND FUMES IN THE CABIN.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FOR DEP ON RWY 26L IN ATL, WE WERE ALMOST TO THE TOP OF THE HILL ON TXWY E WHEN I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO MAKE HIS PREDEP ANNOUNCEMENT. AS HE WAS ON THE PA, THE FLT ATTENDANT CHIME STARTED RINGING CONTINUOUSLY AND WAS RESPONDED TO BY THE FO. AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE COM FROM THE CABIN, I HEARD ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAY THAT THERE WAS SMOKE AND FUMES COMING FROM THE VENTS AND THAT PAX WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING. I STOPPED THE ACFT TO ASSESS THE SIT. I TOLD THE FO TO HAVE THE FLT ATTENDANTS BE PREPARED TO EVAC THE ACFT. I CALLED THE TWR AND ADVISED THAT WE WERE STOPPING THE ACFT AND THAT WE WOULD BE EVACING THE ACFT. THE FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED THAT THE FUMES SMELLED LIKE PLASTIC BURNING AND I COULD HEAR PAX YELLING IN THE BACKGND. I COVERED THE APPROPRIATE ITEMS IN THE SMOKE AND FUMES CHKLIST AND ACCOMPLISHED THE EVAC CHKLIST EXCEPT FOR DISCHARGING THE FIRE BOTTLES. I THEN ANNOUNCED TO THE PAX THAT WE WERE GOING TO EVAC AND FOR THEM TO CAREFULLY FOLLOW THE FLT ATTENDANT'S INSTRUCTIONS. I THEN GAVE THE COMMAND TO EVAC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 558131: THE FIRST, OR ONE OF THE FIRST, PEOPLE OUT OF THE DOOR AND DOWN A SLIDE SUSTAINED MINOR CUTS ON HER FACE WHEN SHE SLID FACE-FIRST AFTER CATCHING HER SHOES ON THE TOP OF THE SLIDER. I MADE ONE MORE CALL TO GND AND ENSURED THE EMER CREWS WERE ENRTE, WHICH THEY WERE. 116 PAX, 3 FLT ATTENDANTS, AND LASTLY 2 PLT EVACED THE ACFT WITH EMER PERSONNEL PRESENT. APPARENTLY, FROM FIRST RPTS ON THE SCENE, THE APU HAD INGESTED SOME HYD FLUID AND THIS WAS CAUSING THE SMOKE.

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.