Narrative:

After we pulled into our gate at dtw airport, the aircraft was chocked and external power was not available. I directed the so to start the APU, which he did. After the APU was started, ships power was transferred to the APU and I shut down #3 engine and did a parking checklist. At that time the lead flight attendant came up hurrying to the cockpit to inform me that several passenger saw flames on the right wing and took it upon themselves to evacuate/evacuation out of the left hand overwing exit! Approximately 6 passenger left the aircraft unauthorized, and 3 dropped to the ramp! I immediately went back to the main cabin and directed the passenger back to the aircraft. None were hurt, and after everyone was accounted for the incident was over. This incident occurred due to wild panic. Had someone 'in the know' advised us earlier of a 'hot' APU I could have made an announcement to allay fears. I did make an announcement but it was too late, by the time the PA was made, the people had left the aircraft. But, they apparently panicked and it spread to several other people. I feel the flight attendants should have put a stop to the unauthorized evacuate/evacuation earlier on, as we in the cockpit had no control over it. Perhaps they should include scenarios like this in flight attendant training since it is easily initiated by just 1 panicked passenger. Supplemental information from acn 188390: soon after parking checks completed someone (I believe a flight attendant) reported that a few passenger had exited the aircraft through the left emergency wing window exit. Apparently, a passenger had yelled fire! During the unloading process. That passenger never was idented. The captain proceeded aft, passing the normally deplaning passenger, finding 2 passenger on the wing. He ordered them back inside. He then went down the jet bridge to find the 2 passenger who, on their own initiative, began an emergency evacuate/evacuation out the window. No injuries were reported. Thinking there may have been torching upon APU start up, the captain checked for fire indications around aircraft from the ground. No indications were found. Asking several ramp personnel, no one indicated seeing any indications of a fire. As we, the crew, waited on aircraft I personally asked ground personnel if there were fire indications, no one answered in the affirmative. No one I talked to, including the passenger who exited through the window, claimed seeing fire indications. There may have been torching on APU start up (either fire or just smoke) but I cannot confirm. The event was reported to company security, and FAA officials (tower personnel).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EVACUATED BY SEVERAL PAX AFTER APU START CREATES A FLASH OF FIRE ON EXTERIOR OF ACFT.

Narrative: AFTER WE PULLED INTO OUR GATE AT DTW ARPT, THE ACFT WAS CHOCKED AND EXTERNAL PWR WAS NOT AVAILABLE. I DIRECTED THE SO TO START THE APU, WHICH HE DID. AFTER THE APU WAS STARTED, SHIPS PWR WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE APU AND I SHUT DOWN #3 ENG AND DID A PARKING CHKLIST. AT THAT TIME THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP HURRYING TO THE COCKPIT TO INFORM ME THAT SEVERAL PAX SAW FLAMES ON THE R WING AND TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO EVAC OUT OF THE L HAND OVERWING EXIT! APPROX 6 PAX LEFT THE ACFT UNAUTHORIZED, AND 3 DROPPED TO THE RAMP! I IMMEDIATELY WENT BACK TO THE MAIN CABIN AND DIRECTED THE PAX BACK TO THE ACFT. NONE WERE HURT, AND AFTER EVERYONE WAS ACCOUNTED FOR THE INCIDENT WAS OVER. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED DUE TO WILD PANIC. HAD SOMEONE 'IN THE KNOW' ADVISED US EARLIER OF A 'HOT' APU I COULD HAVE MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALLAY FEARS. I DID MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT BUT IT WAS TOO LATE, BY THE TIME THE PA WAS MADE, THE PEOPLE HAD LEFT THE ACFT. BUT, THEY APPARENTLY PANICKED AND IT SPREAD TO SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE. I FEEL THE FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD HAVE PUT A STOP TO THE UNAUTHORIZED EVAC EARLIER ON, AS WE IN THE COCKPIT HAD NO CTL OVER IT. PERHAPS THEY SHOULD INCLUDE SCENARIOS LIKE THIS IN FLT ATTENDANT TRAINING SINCE IT IS EASILY INITIATED BY JUST 1 PANICKED PAX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 188390: SOON AFTER PARKING CHKS COMPLETED SOMEONE (I BELIEVE A FLT ATTENDANT) RPTED THAT A FEW PAX HAD EXITED THE ACFT THROUGH THE L EMER WING WINDOW EXIT. APPARENTLY, A PAX HAD YELLED FIRE! DURING THE UNLOADING PROCESS. THAT PAX NEVER WAS IDENTED. THE CAPT PROCEEDED AFT, PASSING THE NORMALLY DEPLANING PAX, FINDING 2 PAX ON THE WING. HE ORDERED THEM BACK INSIDE. HE THEN WENT DOWN THE JET BRIDGE TO FIND THE 2 PAX WHO, ON THEIR OWN INITIATIVE, BEGAN AN EMER EVAC OUT THE WINDOW. NO INJURIES WERE RPTED. THINKING THERE MAY HAVE BEEN TORCHING UPON APU START UP, THE CAPT CHKED FOR FIRE INDICATIONS AROUND ACFT FROM THE GND. NO INDICATIONS WERE FOUND. ASKING SEVERAL RAMP PERSONNEL, NO ONE INDICATED SEEING ANY INDICATIONS OF A FIRE. AS WE, THE CREW, WAITED ON ACFT I PERSONALLY ASKED GND PERSONNEL IF THERE WERE FIRE INDICATIONS, NO ONE ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. NO ONE I TALKED TO, INCLUDING THE PAX WHO EXITED THROUGH THE WINDOW, CLAIMED SEEING FIRE INDICATIONS. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN TORCHING ON APU START UP (EITHER FIRE OR JUST SMOKE) BUT I CANNOT CONFIRM. THE EVENT WAS RPTED TO COMPANY SECURITY, AND FAA OFFICIALS (TWR PERSONNEL).

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.