Narrative:

After turning on aircraft system after starting #1 engine, fumes entered cabin. After powering up to taxi, more fumes came in cabin. #1 F/a then called cockpit fumes existed. Aircraft stopped, situation assessed and attempted return to gate. No line tugs available for 15 mins to tow aircraft to gate. The #4 flight attendant started yelling get out get out prior to telling cockpit of problem of fumes. This required dealing with the panic rather than the problem of the aircraft. He should be reminded to call the cockpit prior to initiating evacuation. 15 minute wait to have aircraft tugged to gate is unacceptable. Not having self parking is unsafe. We need to be able to get to a gate immediately without line tug assistance. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this airplane had been out of service the day before this flight for a hydraulic pinhole leak on #1 engine that saturated the pneumatic bleed ducting. The reporter said the leak was repaired, but the clean out of the ducting and burnout of the residual hydraulic fluid in the ducting was not done or not done thoroughly. The reporter stated after pushback, and on starting #1 engine, the forward passenger cabin began to fill with white smoky fumes. The reporter said the first call from the #1 flight attendant reported the fumes. The reporter stated advancing power to pull back on the gate resulted in more white smoky fumes, so engine was shut down and an emergency call for a tug was made. The reporter said by this time there was pandemonium in the passenger cabin caused by the smoke and fumes and one flight attendant yelling, 'get out get out!' the reporter stated fortunately some communication was established with the cabin and cooler heads prevailed, stopping any evacuation. Callback conversation with reporter acn 607494 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the safety video had just started when passenger from the forward part of the main cabin began running to the back of the airplane. The reporter said the passenger were told by a flight attendant to get out. The reporter stated by this time there was visible smoke and fumes and passenger moving to the rear carrying their hand baggage. The reporter said she did hear over the intercom, 'no evacuation and we are going back to the gate.' the reporter said when the engines revved up more fumes and smoke came into the cabin. The reporter stated 'we finally got the passenger seated and the luggage out of the aisles and order restored.' the reporter said there were no serious injuries only eye irritation and the reporter had a nose bleed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 300 AFTER PUSHBACK AND STARTING #1 ENG, THE FORWARD PAX CABIN BEGAN TO FILL WITH WHITE HAZY SMOKE AND FUMES. IT WAS CAUSED BY #1 ENG PNEUMATIC DUCTS SOAKED WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM A PREVIOUS LEAK.

Narrative: AFTER TURNING ON ACFT SYSTEM AFTER STARTING #1 ENG, FUMES ENTERED CABIN. AFTER POWERING UP TO TAXI, MORE FUMES CAME IN CABIN. #1 F/A THEN CALLED COCKPIT FUMES EXISTED. ACFT STOPPED, SITUATION ASSESSED AND ATTEMPTED RETURN TO GATE. NO LINE TUGS AVAILABLE FOR 15 MINS TO TOW ACFT TO GATE. THE #4 FA STARTED YELLING GET OUT GET OUT PRIOR TO TELLING COCKPIT OF PROBLEM OF FUMES. THIS REQUIRED DEALING WITH THE PANIC RATHER THAN THE PROB OF THE ACFT. HE SHOULD BE REMINDED TO CALL THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO INITIATING EVACUATION. 15 MINUTE WAIT TO HAVE ACFT TUGGED TO GATE IS UNACCEPTABLE. NOT HAVING SELF PARKING IS UNSAFE. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GET TO A GATE IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT LINE TUG ASSISTANCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS AIRPLANE HAD BEEN OUT OF SERVICE THE DAY BEFORE THIS FLT FOR A HYDRAULIC PINHOLE LEAK ON #1 ENGINE THAT SATURATED THE PNEUMATIC BLEED DUCTING. THE RPTR SAID THE LEAK WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE CLEAN OUT OF THE DUCTING AND BURNOUT OF THE RESIDUAL HYDRAULIC FLUID IN THE DUCTING WAS NOT DONE OR NOT DONE THOROUGHLY. THE RPTR STATED AFTER PUSHBACK, AND ON STARTING #1 ENG, THE FORWARD PAX CABIN BEGAN TO FILL WITH WHITE SMOKY FUMES. THE RPTR SAID THE FIRST CALL FROM THE #1 FA REPORTED THE FUMES. THE RPTR STATED ADVANCING POWER TO PULL BACK ON THE GATE RESULTED IN MORE WHITE SMOKY FUMES, SO ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND AN EMER CALL FOR A TUG WAS MADE. THE RPTR SAID BY THIS TIME THERE WAS PANDEMONIUM IN THE PAX CABIN CAUSED BY THE SMOKE AND FUMES AND ONE FA YELLING, 'GET OUT GET OUT!' THE RPTR STATED FORTUNATELY SOME COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE CABIN AND COOLER HEADS PREVAILED, STOPPING ANY EVACUATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 607494 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SAFETY VIDEO HAD JUST STARTED WHEN PAX FROM THE FORWARD PART OF THE MAIN CABIN BEGAN RUNNING TO THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE. THE RPTR SAID THE PAX WERE TOLD BY A FA TO GET OUT. THE RPTR STATED BY THIS TIME THERE WAS VISIBLE SMOKE AND FUMES AND PAX MOVING TO THE REAR CARRYING THEIR HAND BAGGAGE. THE RPTR SAID SHE DID HEAR OVER THE INTERCOM, 'NO EVACUATION AND WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE GATE.' THE RPTR SAID WHEN THE ENGS REVVED UP MORE FUMES AND SMOKE CAME INTO THE CABIN. THE RPTR STATED 'WE FINALLY GOT THE PAX SEATED AND THE LUGGAGE OUT OF THE AISLES AND ORDER RESTORED.' THE RPTR SAID THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES ONLY EYE IRRITATION AND THE RPTR HAD A NOSE BLEED.

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.