Narrative:

After landing on runway 21L at dtw we were cleared to hold short of runway 21C on taxiway F. While we were holding short of runway 21C, the second officer started the APU. Seconds after the second officer initiated the APU start, we saw a bright orange flash out the right side of the airplane. We had no APU fire indication, so I had the first officer look out the cockpit window. As the first officer was opening the cockpit window, we heard a lot of commotion in the cabin. The second officer opened the cockpit door and we saw an evacuate/evacuation taking place with the forward entry door opened, chute deployed and passenger going down the chute. The first officer observed several people out on the right wing. We fired the APU bottle and did the passenger evacuate/evacuation checklist. We went back in the cabin to help with the evacuate/evacuation and found only about 5 people in the airplane. After they went down the chute, I exited the airplane. In discussing this with the F/a's, it appears the passenger panicked at the sight of a fire under the right wing and initiated an evacuate/evacuation. The F/a's continued with the evacuate/evacuation west/O my permission. The fire was apparently a torch start of the APU. Ps: as the cockpit door was opened, the F/a in the back called and said, 'there is a fire in the aft cabin.' supplemental information from acn 84582: I opened the cockpit door and observed passenger exiting the aircraft via the emergency slide. The APU fire checklist was completed and we continued with the aircraft evacuate/evacuation checklists. The only interphone transmission heard from the cabin attendants was 'fire in the aft cabin.' no evacuate/evacuation passenger announcement was made by the captain. The initial exiting of the aircraft was by a passenger on one of the window exits. Some of the cabin attendants were forced by passenger against exit doors, and in one case the aft galley door was opened and chute deployed by a passenger. It was decided by the captain to continue the evacuate/evacuation since we were not positive exactly what kind of danger we had in the aft cabin. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the PIC would not give an information over the phone. Said he would mail answers to questions, but they have not been received. Unable to contact second officer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT PASSENGER EVACUATION INITIATED WITHOUT COCKPIT CONCURRENCE WHEN APU COMPRESSOR STALL WAS OBSERVED OUT THE PASSENGER CABIN WINDOWS.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON RWY 21L AT DTW WE WERE CLRED TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21C ON TXWY F. WHILE WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 21C, THE S/O STARTED THE APU. SECONDS AFTER THE S/O INITIATED THE APU START, WE SAW A BRIGHT ORANGE FLASH OUT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. WE HAD NO APU FIRE INDICATION, SO I HAD THE F/O LOOK OUT THE COCKPIT WINDOW. AS THE F/O WAS OPENING THE COCKPIT WINDOW, WE HEARD A LOT OF COMMOTION IN THE CABIN. THE S/O OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND WE SAW AN EVAC TAKING PLACE WITH THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR OPENED, CHUTE DEPLOYED AND PAX GOING DOWN THE CHUTE. THE F/O OBSERVED SEVERAL PEOPLE OUT ON THE RIGHT WING. WE FIRED THE APU BOTTLE AND DID THE PAX EVAC CHKLIST. WE WENT BACK IN THE CABIN TO HELP WITH THE EVAC AND FOUND ONLY ABOUT 5 PEOPLE IN THE AIRPLANE. AFTER THEY WENT DOWN THE CHUTE, I EXITED THE AIRPLANE. IN DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE F/A'S, IT APPEARS THE PAX PANICKED AT THE SIGHT OF A FIRE UNDER THE RIGHT WING AND INITIATED AN EVAC. THE F/A'S CONTINUED WITH THE EVAC W/O MY PERMISSION. THE FIRE WAS APPARENTLY A TORCH START OF THE APU. PS: AS THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS OPENED, THE F/A IN THE BACK CALLED AND SAID, 'THERE IS A FIRE IN THE AFT CABIN.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 84582: I OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND OBSERVED PAX EXITING THE ACFT VIA THE EMER SLIDE. THE APU FIRE CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED AND WE CONTINUED WITH THE ACFT EVAC CHKLISTS. THE ONLY INTERPHONE XMISSION HEARD FROM THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WAS 'FIRE IN THE AFT CABIN.' NO EVAC PAX ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE BY THE CAPT. THE INITIAL EXITING OF THE ACFT WAS BY A PAX ON ONE OF THE WINDOW EXITS. SOME OF THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE FORCED BY PAX AGAINST EXIT DOORS, AND IN ONE CASE THE AFT GALLEY DOOR WAS OPENED AND CHUTE DEPLOYED BY A PAX. IT WAS DECIDED BY THE CAPT TO CONTINUE THE EVAC SINCE WE WERE NOT POSITIVE EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF DANGER WE HAD IN THE AFT CABIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE PIC WOULD NOT GIVE AN INFO OVER THE PHONE. SAID HE WOULD MAIL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED. UNABLE TO CONTACT S/O.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.