Narrative:

We landed and proceeded to taxi to the concourse. I started the APU as we exited so we would have good cabin cooling for a single engine taxi on a hot day. The right engine was secured shortly thereafter. As we taxied north on taxiway G; we heard the emergency chimes. We both immediately knew the problem. The first officer even said; 'fire?' as he was picking up the interphone and the smell of smoke permeated the cockpit. I set the brakes and turned off the packs as the first officer handed me the handset. The #1 was coughing as he described a cabin full of smoke. As I was asking if he could determine the origin; I disabled the emergency lock and opened the door. The #1 was moving back and forth in the aisle; coughing and gasping for breath; as he tried to keep the passenger calm and locate the smoke source. It was a very thick; caustic mixture and appeared to be getting worse. I saw two passenger suddenly stand as I began coughing myself. It was at this point I felt were about to lose control of the situation. I decided a controled evacuation was preferable to an unorganized stampede. I told the first officer to call the tower and tell them I was evacuating on the taxiway. I then lowered the flaps to 40 degrees and called for the evacuation checklist. Within moments of giving the flight attendants the evacuation signal; we heard all the schoolhouse noises along with my #1 calmly barking orders. My confidence in the decision grew as I watched the professionalism of my crew. After it appeared the aircraft was empty; I moved through the cabin. Finding no one left; I exited by the aft galley slide. There was a good deal of confusion about what to do with the passenger now. It was a bit difficult to keep them from wandering. Fearing someone would be hurt on the ramp; I elected to form them into a single file line and marched them 200 yds to the jetbridge stairs. There were 5 or 6 individuals we left with the fire rescue due to minor injuries and they were brought over within a few minutes. Once inside; I had an agent print a manifest and the first officer began the check in for me. After this was done; we turned the situation over to the agents. I would like to express my gratitude to all of my crew members for their assistance and the professional manner they changed from a relaxed; civilian crew to a highly regimented; military style unit. Once off the aircraft; they continued to help me direct and maintain control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING TAXI IN; MD80 HAS SEVERE CABIN SMOKE INCIDENT. CAPT EVACUATES ALL PAX AND CREWS ON RAMP. LAUDS ENTIRE CREW FOR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE.

Narrative: WE LANDED AND PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO THE CONCOURSE. I STARTED THE APU AS WE EXITED SO WE WOULD HAVE GOOD CABIN COOLING FOR A SINGLE ENG TAXI ON A HOT DAY. THE R ENG WAS SECURED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AS WE TAXIED N ON TXWY G; WE HEARD THE EMER CHIMES. WE BOTH IMMEDIATELY KNEW THE PROB. THE FO EVEN SAID; 'FIRE?' AS HE WAS PICKING UP THE INTERPHONE AND THE SMELL OF SMOKE PERMEATED THE COCKPIT. I SET THE BRAKES AND TURNED OFF THE PACKS AS THE FO HANDED ME THE HANDSET. THE #1 WAS COUGHING AS HE DESCRIBED A CABIN FULL OF SMOKE. AS I WAS ASKING IF HE COULD DETERMINE THE ORIGIN; I DISABLED THE EMER LOCK AND OPENED THE DOOR. THE #1 WAS MOVING BACK AND FORTH IN THE AISLE; COUGHING AND GASPING FOR BREATH; AS HE TRIED TO KEEP THE PAX CALM AND LOCATE THE SMOKE SOURCE. IT WAS A VERY THICK; CAUSTIC MIXTURE AND APPEARED TO BE GETTING WORSE. I SAW TWO PAX SUDDENLY STAND AS I BEGAN COUGHING MYSELF. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I FELT WERE ABOUT TO LOSE CTL OF THE SITUATION. I DECIDED A CTLED EVACUATION WAS PREFERABLE TO AN UNORGANIZED STAMPEDE. I TOLD THE FO TO CALL THE TWR AND TELL THEM I WAS EVACUATING ON THE TXWY. I THEN LOWERED THE FLAPS TO 40 DEGS AND CALLED FOR THE EVACUATION CHKLIST. WITHIN MOMENTS OF GIVING THE FLT ATTENDANTS THE EVACUATION SIGNAL; WE HEARD ALL THE SCHOOLHOUSE NOISES ALONG WITH MY #1 CALMLY BARKING ORDERS. MY CONFIDENCE IN THE DECISION GREW AS I WATCHED THE PROFESSIONALISM OF MY CREW. AFTER IT APPEARED THE ACFT WAS EMPTY; I MOVED THROUGH THE CABIN. FINDING NO ONE LEFT; I EXITED BY THE AFT GALLEY SLIDE. THERE WAS A GOOD DEAL OF CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE PAX NOW. IT WAS A BIT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THEM FROM WANDERING. FEARING SOMEONE WOULD BE HURT ON THE RAMP; I ELECTED TO FORM THEM INTO A SINGLE FILE LINE AND MARCHED THEM 200 YDS TO THE JETBRIDGE STAIRS. THERE WERE 5 OR 6 INDIVIDUALS WE LEFT WITH THE FIRE RESCUE DUE TO MINOR INJURIES AND THEY WERE BROUGHT OVER WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. ONCE INSIDE; I HAD AN AGENT PRINT A MANIFEST AND THE FO BEGAN THE CHK IN FOR ME. AFTER THIS WAS DONE; WE TURNED THE SITUATION OVER TO THE AGENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO ALL OF MY CREW MEMBERS FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND THE PROFESSIONAL MANNER THEY CHANGED FROM A RELAXED; CIVILIAN CREW TO A HIGHLY REGIMENTED; MILITARY STYLE UNIT. ONCE OFF THE ACFT; THEY CONTINUED TO HELP ME DIRECT AND MAINTAIN CTL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.