Narrative:

We were normal operations through #1 engine start (both engines running). It became apparent to me and the first officer that the signal person wanted something; but he did not give any signals. Then an apparent ramp supervisor ran over next to the signal person and signaled to shut down. The shutdown was accomplished. Once the engines were stopped; the first officer and I tried to find out what was going on. Some of the ramp personnel were running around the plane and some were just running away. Then I saw mechanics running toward the plane. At this time; the flight attendant told me that the gpu was on fire. A passenger told the flight attendant. I ordered the evacuate/evacuation which immediately commenced. I called operations and told them to get some people outside because the passenger were coming off. Then I assisted the flight attendant in getting the passenger off the plane. During the evacuate/evacuation; a lot of smoke was blowing over the plane's exit. Some made it into the cabin. To my knowledge; no passenger were affected; but my first officer and flight attendant were both taken in an ambulance for smoke inhalation. In my opinion; there was a serious breakdown in communication between people on the ramp and the flight crew. From the time I was given the shutdown signal; which is the first time that I can say for sure that the ramp personnel knew of the fire; to when the flight attendant told me that the gpu was on fire was at least 1-2 mins; possibly longer. Even then; the information did not come from anyone outside the plane. If the fire had reached the plane's wing; that delay could have proven very costly. The event occurred because our air carrier is too cheap and we are forced to use old; crappy equipment. If I'm not mistaken; this is the second gpu to burn up in ZZZ alone this yr. Supplemental information from acn 755772: I was going through the cabin to do final compliance check. I was going from the back of the aircraft when a passenger yelled out that the equipment on the ground outside of his window was on fire. I went back and looked. The gpu was sending out flames toward the aircraft. I ran forward and chimed the captain to inform him of the situation. The captain opened the flight deck door and I informed him that the gpu was on fire and that we needed to get passenger off; he agreed. I opened the door and informed passenger that they needed to get off quickly. While we were evacing the plane smoke filled the cabin and the outside area was full of smoke. I suffered smoke inhalation from the smoke in the cabin and also the first officer suffered from smoke inhalation. We were sent to the hospital for further evaluate. Have gpu checked frequently to see if there is a problem with the units before hooking up to planes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 FLT CREW REPORTS GPU FIRE SHORTLY AFTER ENGINE START WHICH IS NOT SIGNALED TO THE FLT CREW BY THE GROUND CREW OBSERVING THE START. FLIGHT ATTENDANT REPORTS THE FIRE AND PASSENGERS ARE DEPLANED ON TO THE RAMP.

Narrative: WE WERE NORMAL OPS THROUGH #1 ENG START (BOTH ENGS RUNNING). IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME AND THE FO THAT THE SIGNAL PERSON WANTED SOMETHING; BUT HE DID NOT GIVE ANY SIGNALS. THEN AN APPARENT RAMP SUPVR RAN OVER NEXT TO THE SIGNAL PERSON AND SIGNALED TO SHUT DOWN. THE SHUTDOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED. ONCE THE ENGS WERE STOPPED; THE FO AND I TRIED TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. SOME OF THE RAMP PERSONNEL WERE RUNNING AROUND THE PLANE AND SOME WERE JUST RUNNING AWAY. THEN I SAW MECHS RUNNING TOWARD THE PLANE. AT THIS TIME; THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT THE GPU WAS ON FIRE. A PAX TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT. I ORDERED THE EVAC WHICH IMMEDIATELY COMMENCED. I CALLED OPS AND TOLD THEM TO GET SOME PEOPLE OUTSIDE BECAUSE THE PAX WERE COMING OFF. THEN I ASSISTED THE FLT ATTENDANT IN GETTING THE PAX OFF THE PLANE. DURING THE EVAC; A LOT OF SMOKE WAS BLOWING OVER THE PLANE'S EXIT. SOME MADE IT INTO THE CABIN. TO MY KNOWLEDGE; NO PAX WERE AFFECTED; BUT MY FO AND FLT ATTENDANT WERE BOTH TAKEN IN AN AMBULANCE FOR SMOKE INHALATION. IN MY OPINION; THERE WAS A SERIOUS BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN PEOPLE ON THE RAMP AND THE FLT CREW. FROM THE TIME I WAS GIVEN THE SHUTDOWN SIGNAL; WHICH IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I CAN SAY FOR SURE THAT THE RAMP PERSONNEL KNEW OF THE FIRE; TO WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT THE GPU WAS ON FIRE WAS AT LEAST 1-2 MINS; POSSIBLY LONGER. EVEN THEN; THE INFO DID NOT COME FROM ANYONE OUTSIDE THE PLANE. IF THE FIRE HAD REACHED THE PLANE'S WING; THAT DELAY COULD HAVE PROVEN VERY COSTLY. THE EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OUR ACR IS TOO CHEAP AND WE ARE FORCED TO USE OLD; CRAPPY EQUIP. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN; THIS IS THE SECOND GPU TO BURN UP IN ZZZ ALONE THIS YR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 755772: I WAS GOING THROUGH THE CABIN TO DO FINAL COMPLIANCE CHK. I WAS GOING FROM THE BACK OF THE ACFT WHEN A PAX YELLED OUT THAT THE EQUIP ON THE GND OUTSIDE OF HIS WINDOW WAS ON FIRE. I WENT BACK AND LOOKED. THE GPU WAS SENDING OUT FLAMES TOWARD THE ACFT. I RAN FORWARD AND CHIMED THE CAPT TO INFORM HIM OF THE SITUATION. THE CAPT OPENED THE FLT DECK DOOR AND I INFORMED HIM THAT THE GPU WAS ON FIRE AND THAT WE NEEDED TO GET PAX OFF; HE AGREED. I OPENED THE DOOR AND INFORMED PAX THAT THEY NEEDED TO GET OFF QUICKLY. WHILE WE WERE EVACING THE PLANE SMOKE FILLED THE CABIN AND THE OUTSIDE AREA WAS FULL OF SMOKE. I SUFFERED SMOKE INHALATION FROM THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND ALSO THE FO SUFFERED FROM SMOKE INHALATION. WE WERE SENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER EVAL. HAVE GPU CHKED FREQUENTLY TO SEE IF THERE IS A PROB WITH THE UNITS BEFORE HOOKING UP TO PLANES.

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.