CAPT OF ACR MLG ACFT ORDERED A PAX EVAC AFTER PAX PANICKED UPON SEEING FLAMES FROM A 'HOT START.'

Narrative

DURING PUSHBACK WHILE STARTING ENG #1; THE MECH INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORCHING OF ENG. AFT FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO RPT POSSIBLE FIRE. FIRST FLT ATTENDANT KNOCKED AND ENTERED COCKPIT TO RPT POSSIBLE FIRE. STOPPED THE PUSHBACK AND ORDERED EVAC BASED ON FLT ATTENDANT'S RPTS AND THE FACT THAT I COULD SEE PAX STANDING IN THE GALLEY AREA AT DOOR IN APPARENT PANIC; READY TO EVAC THEMSELVES. THE FO AND FLT ATTENDANTS LATER RPTED HAVING HEARD PAX YELLING 'FIRE.' ANOTHER AIRLINE PLT SITTING IN THE CABIN CONFIRMED THE CHRONOLOGY AND ADDED THAT AN OVERWING EXIT WAS OPENED BY A PAX PRIOR TO THE ACFT BEING STOPPED AND PRIOR TO THE ORDER TO EVAC. HE ALSO RPTED THAT HE OVERHEARD A PAX; SUBSEQUENT TO THE EVAC; BRAGGED THAT HE WAS OUT ON THE WING BEFORE THE ACFT STOPPED. COCKPIT DUTIES WERE PERFORMED ACCORDING TO PUBLISHED PROCS. ALL SAFETY EQUIP OPERATED NORMALLY. NO INJURIES WERE RPTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO EVAC ALL PAX DURING THE 'PUSHBACK' SINCE THE PAX HAD PANICKED AT WHAT FIRE THEY HAD SEEN AND WERE EVACUATING ON THEIR OWN. SOME PAX WERE ALREADY OUT ON THE WING THROUGH THE EMER OVER THE WING EXIT OPPOSITE TO THE ENG SHOWING A FIRE. EVERYONE EVACED WITHOUT INJURY AND WERE ALREADY INSIDE THE TERMINAL VIA THE 'JETWAY' BEFORE THE FLC COULD 'JUMP' OUT OF THE ACFT. IN THE MEANTIME; THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE #1 ENG (L SIDE) DID EMIT FIRE ('ENG TORCHED') DUE TO A 'HOT' START BUT WAS IMMEDIATELY CONSUMED WHEN THE ENG ACTUALLY STARTED. THE RPTING CAPT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF TRAINING FOR SUCH AN EVENTUALITY SINCE THERE IS NO PROC IN PLACE FOR A 2-PERSON FLC TO COM TO THE DISPATCH; FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE GND PERSONNEL ALL AT THE SAME TIME; WHICH WAS NEEDED IN THIS INSTANCE. EVEN THOUGH PAX ARE REMINDED TO REMAIN SEATED; THERE IS NO WAY TO STOP THEM IF A PANIC STARTS (LIKEN TO A CATTLE STAMPEDE).