Narrative:

I was performing the duties of first officer on an medium large transport aircraft. After pushing back from the gate we could not get #2 engine to light off. We returned to the gate, advised maintenance. After approximately 1 1/2 hours, maintenance replaced an ignition relay system, got the engine to start, signed off the logbook and said it was fixed. We pushed back from the gate, tried to start #2 engine and could not get it to light off. Again, we advised maintenance. We started the #1 engine then maintenance requested that we try to start the #2 engine again by a nonstandard procedure. That procedure was emergency power switch to 'on', ignition switch to 'override.' we advised that this was not in our flight manual or an approved procedure for starting an engine at the gate. They acknowledged that fact but requested we do that to assist them in troubleshooting. We did what was requested of us and got a hot start on the #2 engine. The pushback crew advised us of smoke and a flame in the tail pipe of the #2 engine. After securing the #2 engine from the attempted start the ground crew said it was still smoking profusely and still had intermittent flames. At that time we contacted the senior F/a and told him we had better get the passenger off the airplane. He asked if he should order an evacuation via the slides. We told him that would not be necessary, to just use the front entry stairs. In the ensuing confusion a F/a in the aft part of the airplane jettisoned the tail cone, however, the tail slide did not inflate as advertised. The aircraft was deplaned using the stairway. To prevent a recurrence of this situation never try to accomplish maintenance procedure and F/a's should not jettison emergency exits until they are told to via the FAA approved emergency evacuation plan as commanded from the cockpit or senior F/a (i.e., 'easy victor' which exit) over the PA system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF ACR MLG HAD TROUBLE STARTING THE ENGINE. AFTER MAINTENANCE ACTIVITY AND REPEATED START ATTEMPTS THEY GOT A STACK FIRE AND CABIN ATTENDANT DEPLOYED AN EMERGENCY EXIT WITHOUT PIC INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: I WAS PERFORMING THE DUTIES OF F/O ON AN MLG ACFT. AFTER PUSHING BACK FROM THE GATE WE COULD NOT GET #2 ENGINE TO LIGHT OFF. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE, ADVISED MAINT. AFTER APPROX 1 1/2 HRS, MAINT REPLACED AN IGNITION RELAY SYSTEM, GOT THE ENGINE TO START, SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. WE PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE, TRIED TO START #2 ENGINE AND COULD NOT GET IT TO LIGHT OFF. AGAIN, WE ADVISED MAINT. WE STARTED THE #1 ENGINE THEN MAINT REQUESTED THAT WE TRY TO START THE #2 ENGINE AGAIN BY A NONSTANDARD PROC. THAT PROC WAS EMER PWR SWITCH TO 'ON', IGNITION SWITCH TO 'OVERRIDE.' WE ADVISED THAT THIS WAS NOT IN OUR FLT MANUAL OR AN APPROVED PROC FOR STARTING AN ENGINE AT THE GATE. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT FACT BUT REQUESTED WE DO THAT TO ASSIST THEM IN TROUBLESHOOTING. WE DID WHAT WAS REQUESTED OF US AND GOT A HOT START ON THE #2 ENGINE. THE PUSHBACK CREW ADVISED US OF SMOKE AND A FLAME IN THE TAIL PIPE OF THE #2 ENGINE. AFTER SECURING THE #2 ENGINE FROM THE ATTEMPTED START THE GND CREW SAID IT WAS STILL SMOKING PROFUSELY AND STILL HAD INTERMITTENT FLAMES. AT THAT TIME WE CONTACTED THE SENIOR F/A AND TOLD HIM WE HAD BETTER GET THE PAX OFF THE AIRPLANE. HE ASKED IF HE SHOULD ORDER AN EVACUATION VIA THE SLIDES. WE TOLD HIM THAT WOULD NOT BE NECESSARY, TO JUST USE THE FRONT ENTRY STAIRS. IN THE ENSUING CONFUSION A F/A IN THE AFT PART OF THE AIRPLANE JETTISONED THE TAIL CONE, HOWEVER, THE TAIL SLIDE DID NOT INFLATE AS ADVERTISED. THE ACFT WAS DEPLANED USING THE STAIRWAY. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THIS SITUATION NEVER TRY TO ACCOMPLISH MAINT PROC AND F/A'S SHOULD NOT JETTISON EMER EXITS UNTIL THEY ARE TOLD TO VIA THE FAA APPROVED EMER EVACUATION PLAN AS COMMANDED FROM THE COCKPIT OR SENIOR F/A (I.E., 'EASY VICTOR' WHICH EXIT) OVER THE PA SYSTEM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.