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.