Potential
I am a little bit concerned by your description of both your and your groups interaction in all of this. Can you confirm that you were directly helping the BA cabin crew or where you taking a cavalier approach by taking the situation into your own control? I appreciate you are learning to be a commercial pilot but remember...YOU ARE JUST LEARNING and you clearly have yet to undergo your CRM training, or if not...maybe you need to take it again.
I am concerned that you were tempted to go and get a BCF yourself. What would that have achieved if you could not see flames? Do you have any idea how much panic your colleague may have caused by entering the rear cabin and shouting "dont come in here there is a fire" etc etc. Why could you all not just leave the highly trained and far more experienced BA crew continue with what they were doing? Please clear up this little grey areas if you can.
Williamd,
Interesting first hand account. As for the TSA/Security people prior to when you boarded. BA is one of the only remaining european airlines serving PHX (Not sure but I think LH have or are pulling out) and always attracts the huge number of TSA staff as it is sort of a training flight for them. So in answer to your suspicions...no, they was probably nothing going on, they were just looking for something to do. If you think PHX was bad you should see MIA on occasion.
You were wrong to get your luggage, to turn around and swear at a passenger for getting their book was simple hypocriscy. When you went back on stand you could have been on the aircraft for ages (regardless of a situation or not) so there was really no need to join the mob who got up and clamoured for their luggage but at the same time, I suppose its an easy mistake to make.
Often in situations like this the worst cause of injury are the passengers. I would imagine that no communication was made to the cabin as if it had done it would have created hysteria which in itself could have caused serious injury. From what I can read into this it would appear that the crew called an evacuation at the correct time.
I too have heard that a passenger did indeed open an exit on the left which was not manned (BA have a policy that when an aircraft is on stand each pair of doors needs to only be manned by one crew member so that the other crew member may be freed up for duties or in this case I would imagine they were info running)was opened by a passenger despite the pleads from the crew member on the otherside not to do it. This is scary as that person may have little consideration for their own safety but the sad fact is that by opening that door others may have followed into a hazard! I am amazed with all the pushing and shoving that takes place that no one fell out of the gaping whole as the door was not armed (therefore no manual inflation handle visible as it is attached to the girt bar which is only fixed when in automatic).
All in all it would appear that the BA crew did an exceptional job in a rapidly changing situation. I wouldnt be surprised if we learn that the only reason an evacuation was called was simply because someone did open a door when they shouldnt have and this would have given the captain the impression that the situation was deteriorating rapidly. But that is mere speculation on my part.
As for inaudible PAs, its possible and very much so on the 747. Not ideal, infact kind of scary but I would ask those sitting in D zone (the area where Potential was sitting) if they heard any boarding PA's?
The fact that you were kept in such a closely knit space on the ground beside the aircraft is a bit scary and far from ideal.I seriously hope that this is addressed by the PHX airport authorities as passengers should have been lead at least 100ms upwind of the aircraft in any situation (unless there is a brick wall in the way)!
As for Potential and Williamd, just a bit of constructive criticism, dont take it personally, especially considering I was not there! LOL. Anyway, it is too late now. Fair play to you for in general remaining calm and not being afraid to get back onboard and complete the journey!