An air carrier pilot reports the ground air cart batteries exploded sending fumes into the aircraft....

Attributes
ACN	777374
Time
Date	200803
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	777374
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : evacuated
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Ground air cart batteries exploded and sent fumes into cabin and cockpit. Inhaled fumes for 30 seconds. Thought that east&east compartment was on fire and expected a flash fire sequence. Told flight attendants to get off aircraft. As soon as plume of smoke entered the cockpit; I told flight attendants to leave and notify fire department. We evacuate/evacuationed the aircraft and went by ambulance to local hospital for smoke inhalation. Don't send aircraft to a destination where you absolutely need an APU. Example: ZZZ was forecasted to be in near blizzard conditions that day and temperature was 30 degrees F. How are we supposed to keep passenger warm without an APU?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT REPORTS THE GND AIR CART BATTERIES EXPLODED SENDING FUMES INTO THE ACFT. THE CREW EVACUATED AND WAS TREATED FOR SMOKE INHALATION.

Narrative: GND AIR CART BATTERIES EXPLODED AND SENT FUMES INTO CABIN AND COCKPIT. INHALED FUMES FOR 30 SECONDS. THOUGHT THAT E&E COMPARTMENT WAS ON FIRE AND EXPECTED A FLASH FIRE SEQUENCE. TOLD FLT ATTENDANTS TO GET OFF ACFT. AS SOON AS PLUME OF SMOKE ENTERED THE COCKPIT; I TOLD FLT ATTENDANTS TO LEAVE AND NOTIFY FIRE DEPT. WE EVACED THE ACFT AND WENT BY AMBULANCE TO LCL HOSPITAL FOR SMOKE INHALATION. DON'T SEND ACFT TO A DEST WHERE YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED AN APU. EXAMPLE: ZZZ WAS FORECASTED TO BE IN NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS THAT DAY AND TEMP WAS 30 DEGS F. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KEEP PAX WARM WITHOUT AN APU?

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

An air carrier pilot reports the ground air cart batteries exploded sending fumes into the aircraft. The crew evacuated and was treated for smoke inhalation.