MD-82
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Time Pressure; Physiological - Other
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Flight Crew Returned To Gate; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action; General Physical Injury / Incapacitation
Aircraft; Weather
Departed from gate with a completely full aircraft. Taxied south on Taxiway K for Runway 36R departure. As soon as we turned onto B we were chimed from the cabin and received a report of smoke in the cabin. I pulled the aircraft onto the ramp area of the a terminal and stopped. I had the First Officer opened the door to see the situation. He reported significant smoke. I decided the best action was to make an expedited taxi back to a gate to get the people off while requesting the emergency equipment. We did declare an emergency. I wanted to try to get to a gate as it was 100 Deg OAT and an evacuation had it's own hazards. We turned the packs off which did stop the smoke from getting worse. We reached a gate very quickly and deplaned the people without incident.
The Reporter stated that the packs had been on for about five minutes when suddenly the cabin filled with smoke. Maintenance reported that a pack had overheated and was the source of the smoke. The only known injury was an elderly passenger who reported being light headed. No other passengers or crew members reported ill effects.
An MD-82 pack overheated during taxi-in and filled the cabin with smoke; so the crew declared an emergency and returned to the gate where passengers were removed on the jetway.