Narrative:

After landing and taxiing to the gate; thick smoke began to fill the cabin. The APU had just been started and earlier a cargo overheat light came on and remained on for the remainder of the flight. We were just approximately 100 ft from the gate area and the present area was not safe for evacuate/evacuation due to surrounding ground equipment. Immediate action items were accomplished and the flight attendants were instructed to partially open the doors to allow air to ventilate the cabin. The fire department was called and upon entry to the gate area; I opened the cockpit window and told the ground personnel to get the stairs to the airplane because the cabin was full of smoke. All passenger and crew were removed from the aircraft with no injuries. It was later determined that a wiring bundle in the aft cargo area had shorted out and burned. The investigation as to the cause of the smoke is still under way. Supplemental information from acn 750968: in-flight; an aft cargo compartment overheat illuminated. Corrective procedure was accomplished and flight continued to ZZZZ. Supplemental information from acn 753526: approximately 1 1/2 - 2 mins before arriving at the gate; smoke began to fill the cabin around row 26HJ. The smoke continued to billow and became very dense. I picked up the phone to call the cockpit and overheard a conversation between flight attendant #3 and a pilot. Interjected the smoke was getting bad and we needed to get the passenger out. As we approached the gate; many coach passenger had come up to door 1L. They were holding clothing over their faces in order to not breathe the smoke. I heard on the phone we should 'crack' our doors open to let the smoke escape. Unaware if I was going to have to inflate my slide I was apprehensive. Once the aircraft came to a stop; I saw through my viewing window a ramp stand/stairs about 8-10 ft from my door. I knew I could not inflate the slide with this so close. As the stairs began to approach the door; I disarmed it and cracked it open about 12 inches. When the stairs reached the aircraft I opened the door fully but had to hold passenger back because the stairs were about 6 ft lower than the threshold of the door. Once they were raised to meet the door; I undid the barrier strap on the stairs to let passenger use them. I made at least 2 announcements over the PA system for passenger to come to the front left door; quickly; and not to bring anything with them. The deplaning process took much longer than necessary leaving others in the smoke filled cabin because they had their hands full with their belongings and walking down the stairs without being able to use the hand RAIL. Once passenger deplaned; I went through my door after checking my lavatories.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 CABIN FILLS WITH SMOKE ON TAXI IN TO GATE. INCIDENT FOLLOWED AN AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT ENROUTE.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AND TAXIING TO THE GATE; THICK SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE CABIN. THE APU HAD JUST BEEN STARTED AND EARLIER A CARGO OVERHEAT LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. WE WERE JUST APPROX 100 FT FROM THE GATE AREA AND THE PRESENT AREA WAS NOT SAFE FOR EVAC DUE TO SURROUNDING GND EQUIP. IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INSTRUCTED TO PARTIALLY OPEN THE DOORS TO ALLOW AIR TO VENTILATE THE CABIN. THE FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED AND UPON ENTRY TO THE GATE AREA; I OPENED THE COCKPIT WINDOW AND TOLD THE GND PERSONNEL TO GET THE STAIRS TO THE AIRPLANE BECAUSE THE CABIN WAS FULL OF SMOKE. ALL PAX AND CREW WERE REMOVED FROM THE ACFT WITH NO INJURIES. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT A WIRING BUNDLE IN THE AFT CARGO AREA HAD SHORTED OUT AND BURNED. THE INVESTIGATION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE IS STILL UNDER WAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 750968: INFLT; AN AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT OVERHEAT ILLUMINATED. CORRECTIVE PROC WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND FLT CONTINUED TO ZZZZ. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 753526: APPROX 1 1/2 - 2 MINS BEFORE ARRIVING AT THE GATE; SMOKE BEGAN TO FILL THE CABIN AROUND ROW 26HJ. THE SMOKE CONTINUED TO BILLOW AND BECAME VERY DENSE. I PICKED UP THE PHONE TO CALL THE COCKPIT AND OVERHEARD A CONVERSATION BTWN FLT ATTENDANT #3 AND A PLT. INTERJECTED THE SMOKE WAS GETTING BAD AND WE NEEDED TO GET THE PAX OUT. AS WE APCHED THE GATE; MANY COACH PAX HAD COME UP TO DOOR 1L. THEY WERE HOLDING CLOTHING OVER THEIR FACES IN ORDER TO NOT BREATHE THE SMOKE. I HEARD ON THE PHONE WE SHOULD 'CRACK' OUR DOORS OPEN TO LET THE SMOKE ESCAPE. UNAWARE IF I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO INFLATE MY SLIDE I WAS APPREHENSIVE. ONCE THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP; I SAW THROUGH MY VIEWING WINDOW A RAMP STAND/STAIRS ABOUT 8-10 FT FROM MY DOOR. I KNEW I COULD NOT INFLATE THE SLIDE WITH THIS SO CLOSE. AS THE STAIRS BEGAN TO APCH THE DOOR; I DISARMED IT AND CRACKED IT OPEN ABOUT 12 INCHES. WHEN THE STAIRS REACHED THE ACFT I OPENED THE DOOR FULLY BUT HAD TO HOLD PAX BACK BECAUSE THE STAIRS WERE ABOUT 6 FT LOWER THAN THE THRESHOLD OF THE DOOR. ONCE THEY WERE RAISED TO MEET THE DOOR; I UNDID THE BARRIER STRAP ON THE STAIRS TO LET PAX USE THEM. I MADE AT LEAST 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS OVER THE PA SYS FOR PAX TO COME TO THE FRONT L DOOR; QUICKLY; AND NOT TO BRING ANYTHING WITH THEM. THE DEPLANING PROCESS TOOK MUCH LONGER THAN NECESSARY LEAVING OTHERS IN THE SMOKE FILLED CABIN BECAUSE THEY HAD THEIR HANDS FULL WITH THEIR BELONGINGS AND WALKING DOWN THE STAIRS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO USE THE HAND RAIL. ONCE PAX DEPLANED; I WENT THROUGH MY DOOR AFTER CHKING MY LAVATORIES.

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.