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During engine start of commuter, smoke from engine motivated aircraft passenger evacuate/evacuation through main door only. Smoke caused by overheating starter.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 190914 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199110 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bos |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2200 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 190914 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On the boston ramp, the captain, while I was shutting the main cabin door, aborted the start sequence. We decided to attempt a second start after checking all the possible causes for the engine not to light. We then attempted a second start with the main cabin door open and myself in front of the aircraft to observe any possible problems visually. 10-15 seconds into the second start the right engine of the aircraft began to smoke profusely, giving the indication of a possible fire. I gave the shutdown signal to the captain and initiated the emergency evacuate/evacuation procedure through the main cabin door only. There were no injuries. After all passengers were deplaned I returned to the cockpit to secure the aircraft and review the engine fire on ground checklist as per procedure. Maintenance informed us that the ignitors were fouled and the starter was weak. The ignitors caused the engine not to light and the weak starter smoked as the engine was started. I feel that better preventative maintenance could have prevented this incident.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING ENG START OF COMMUTER, SMOKE FROM ENG MOTIVATED ACFT PAX EVAC THROUGH MAIN DOOR ONLY. SMOKE CAUSED BY OVERHEATING STARTER.
Narrative: ON THE BOSTON RAMP, THE CAPT, WHILE I WAS SHUTTING THE MAIN CABIN DOOR, ABORTED THE START SEQUENCE. WE DECIDED TO ATTEMPT A SECOND START AFTER CHKING ALL THE POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THE ENG NOT TO LIGHT. WE THEN ATTEMPTED A SECOND START WITH THE MAIN CABIN DOOR OPEN AND MYSELF IN FRONT OF THE ACFT TO OBSERVE ANY POSSIBLE PROBLEMS VISUALLY. 10-15 SECONDS INTO THE SECOND START THE R ENG OF THE ACFT BEGAN TO SMOKE PROFUSELY, GIVING THE INDICATION OF A POSSIBLE FIRE. I GAVE THE SHUTDOWN SIGNAL TO THE CAPT AND INITIATED THE EMER EVAC PROC THROUGH THE MAIN CABIN DOOR ONLY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AFTER ALL PAXS WERE DEPLANED I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO SECURE THE ACFT AND REVIEW THE ENG FIRE ON GND CHKLIST AS PER PROC. MAINT INFORMED US THAT THE IGNITORS WERE FOULED AND THE STARTER WAS WEAK. THE IGNITORS CAUSED THE ENG NOT TO LIGHT AND THE WEAK STARTER SMOKED AS THE ENG WAS STARTED. I FEEL THAT BETTER PREVENTATIVE MAINT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT.
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.