Narrative:

Just completed pushback. The last engine was being started when #1 engine shut down. Ground crew had already disconnected from aircraft. They were looking and pointing in direction of #1 engine. To re-establish communications with ground crew I flashed my lights. A crew man came running, plugged in, and said 'motor #1.' at about the same time the evacuate/evacuation signal erupted. If only to control the evacuate/evacuation, I called ground and asked them to send the fire trucks. I shut down the remaining engines. I then asked ground if they saw any smoke or flames. A nearby flight responded that nothing was visible. There was no overheat or fire indication in or outside the cockpit. I, therefore, commanded the remaining passenger to stay seated. The #1 engine had torched. A flight attendant initiated the evacuate/evacuation. The word 'fire' had been yelled. Panic ensued. There was no damage to the aircraft or engine. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft evacuate/evacuation was initiated by a flight attendant who did not advise the flight crew before or after the evacuate/evacuation began. The reporter said about 275 passenger left the aircraft and 2 broken bone injuries were reported. The reporter stated the ground crew was not in communication with the cockpit during engine start which was not the normal procedure. The reporter said all the doors and slides activated operated in a normal manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 AFTER PUSHBACK AND DURING STARTING #1 ENG TORCHED AND A FLT ATTENDANT INITIATED AN EMER EVAC WITHOUT ADVISING THE FLC.

Narrative: JUST COMPLETED PUSHBACK. THE LAST ENG WAS BEING STARTED WHEN #1 ENG SHUT DOWN. GND CREW HAD ALREADY DISCONNECTED FROM ACFT. THEY WERE LOOKING AND POINTING IN DIRECTION OF #1 ENG. TO RE-ESTABLISH COMS WITH GND CREW I FLASHED MY LIGHTS. A CREW MAN CAME RUNNING, PLUGGED IN, AND SAID 'MOTOR #1.' AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE EVAC SIGNAL ERUPTED. IF ONLY TO CTL THE EVAC, I CALLED GND AND ASKED THEM TO SEND THE FIRE TRUCKS. I SHUT DOWN THE REMAINING ENGS. I THEN ASKED GND IF THEY SAW ANY SMOKE OR FLAMES. A NEARBY FLT RESPONDED THAT NOTHING WAS VISIBLE. THERE WAS NO OVERHEAT OR FIRE INDICATION IN OR OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT. I, THEREFORE, COMMANDED THE REMAINING PAX TO STAY SEATED. THE #1 ENG HAD TORCHED. A FLT ATTENDANT INITIATED THE EVAC. THE WORD 'FIRE' HAD BEEN YELLED. PANIC ENSUED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR ENG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT EVAC WAS INITIATED BY A FLT ATTENDANT WHO DID NOT ADVISE THE FLC BEFORE OR AFTER THE EVAC BEGAN. THE RPTR SAID ABOUT 275 PAX LEFT THE ACFT AND 2 BROKEN BONE INJURIES WERE RPTED. THE RPTR STATED THE GND CREW WAS NOT IN COM WITH THE COCKPIT DURING ENG START WHICH WAS NOT THE NORMAL PROC. THE RPTR SAID ALL THE DOORS AND SLIDES ACTIVATED OPERATED IN A NORMAL MANNER.

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.