Oh please no! I find myself agreeing with 411a. Except of course for his last sentence starting then again...
The reason that the flight deck should be informed/responsible for the decision to evacuate is beautifully put by McBruce. The burning smell may be the passengers going through the engines!
I have worked for one airline in which the cabin crew could make an independent decision, witout informing the flight deck to initiate an evacuation. The chance of an uncoordinated accident as a result, always frightened me.
In my present company, normally the Flight deck make the decision, the Capt. initiates it but there is provision for the cabin crew to ascertain that the flight deck are capable of making the decision; i.e haven't become incapacitated. Then they would take over. Key word there is of course normal - specious really, as normal and evacuation make for strange bedfellows, to say the least. Still not perfect perhaps but better methinks.
Interesting report though, we all live and learn and hopefully make things better as a result.
BSD.