A320
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 80; Flight Crew Total 12000; Flight Crew Type 4000
Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General Evacuated; General Declared Emergency
Staffing; Aircraft; Human Factors
Our jet was parked in remote parking. APU air was working for approximately five minutes but then quit. We requested the air start cart for a #1 engine start. During the #1 engine start ground personnel started yelling through the interphone that we were moving. With no lights in the area; we could not detect any aircraft movement; but we shut down the #1 engine when we saw smoke coming from in front of the right wing and #2 engine. CFR was notified and we shut down and left the aircraft through the air stairs.During the event; the ground person was very difficult to hear. Later; in Operations; one of the ramp personnel commented that the headset had been giving them trouble in the past.
A ground crew headset; previously noted as 'giving them trouble' may have contributed to a breakdown in communication between the flight and ground crews when an engine start at a remote location at night ran amok due to uncommanded movement of the aircraft.