CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; B727-200; MIA-SJU; BOARDING; FRONT DOOR HAD SMOKE EMITTING FROM DOOR SILL. PURSER EVACED PAX THROUGH FRONT DOOR AND JETBRIDGE.

Narrative

AS #1 FLT ATTENDANT; I WENT TO FRONT DOOR TO SEE IF WE WERE READY TO CLOSE DOOR. AT THE DOOR; I SMELLED SOME SORT OF ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL AND SMOKE WAS 'BOILING OVER' ON TOP AND TOP 1/3 OF THE DOOR SILL. THE SMOKE SEEMED TO BE PULLED OUTSIDE THROUGH THE CANOPY OF JETBRIDGE. I SENSED WE WERE POSSIBLY READY FOR A FIRE IN THE FUSELAGE OR CEILING; SO I GRABBED THE FE AND SAID 'COME HERE.' WE BOTH TOOK ONE LOOK AND I SAID 'I'M GETTING THEM OFF.' HE AGREED; AND WENT TO TELL CAPT. SINCE THERE WAS NO FIRE YET; AND DOORS WEREN'T ARMED YET; I DECIDED IT WAS SAFEST TO SEND THE PAX OUT THE FRONT DOOR. I GOT ON THE PA AND SAID 'LEAVE THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY; TAKE NOTHING WITH YOU!' THEY ALL LOOKED STUNNED AND STARED AT ME. THEN I WENT INTO THE CABIN AND YELLED 'LET'S GO!' THAT DID IT. I ELEVATED ON A FIRST CLASS SEAT AND HURRIED THEM OFF. THEY WERE FAST AND EVEN TOLD THE PAX; WHO WERE OPENING OVERHEAD BINS; TO CLOSE THEM AND GO. THEY REALLY HELPED EACH OTHER ALONG; AND NOT ONE PERSON STOPPED TO SAY 'WHAT'S WRONG.' THE WHOLE PROCESS TOOK ONLY A FEW MINS FROM MY SEEING SMOKE TO ALL PAX AND CREW OFF. MAINT; ETC; THEN CAME QUICKLY AND; AFTER SEARCHING FOR SOME OF SMOKE AND BURNING SMELL; FOUND THE BALLAST ABOVE THE ENTRY LIGHTS HAD BURNED UP. ONCE THE SIT WAS NO LONGER VOLATILE; WE ALLOWED 6 PAX AT A TIME TO RETRIEVE BELONGINGS; AS THE PLANE WAS TAKEN OTS. MY SUGGESTION IS THAT FLT ATTENDANTS BE ADVISED THAT SHOULD THE FRONT DOOR BE UNUSABLE (HAD FIRE ERUPTED; THEN IF I HAD TO HIT THE EVAC SIGNAL; BE SURE TO ARM DOORS FIRST. ALL OUR EVAC PROCS WITH SLIDES ARE PRACTICED WITH ASSUMING DOORS ARE ARMED. THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL SIT; BUT WENT WELL.