Narrative:

As noted above, it was still dark at am:30 when I went out to the aircraft to preflight and do the walkaround. Once inside the cockpit while doing the cockpit check, I noted something in the aircraft maintenance log that did not look right. I called maintenance, and it was determined that the paperwork was in fact correct. At departure time my first officer was in the rear of the aircraft closing the door. I attempted to start #2, and the rpms started to hang between 25 to 30 percent. The egt started climbing toward 750 degrees. I immediately pulled the feather lever. A second attempt was made to start #2, and the engine reacted the same way. The feather lever was again immediately pulled. My first officer entered the cockpit during the first attempt to start the #2 engine. We elected to start #1 allowing #2 to cool down. Upon starting #1, the RPM's hung at about 30 percent, the egt started climbing above 700 degrees, and the feather lever was immediately pulled. At this time I was advised by ground personnel that the inlet plugs for both engines were still in place. I proceeded to operations and notified flight control and maintenance. An appropriate entry was made in the aircraft maintenance log. Contributing factors: other covers (pitot tube, air cycle machine) were not in place - just the engine inlet plugs. No streamers on inlet plugs. Darkness. During engine starts, engines acted as if there was a gpu problem.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THREE ABORTED ENG STARTS DUE TO ENG INLET COVERS STILL IN PLACE.

Narrative: AS NOTED ABOVE, IT WAS STILL DARK AT AM:30 WHEN I WENT OUT TO THE ACFT TO PREFLT AND DO THE WALKAROUND. ONCE INSIDE THE COCKPIT WHILE DOING THE COCKPIT CHK, I NOTED SOMETHING IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG THAT DID NOT LOOK RIGHT. I CALLED MAINT, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PAPERWORK WAS IN FACT CORRECT. AT DEP TIME MY FO WAS IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT CLOSING THE DOOR. I ATTEMPTED TO START #2, AND THE RPMS STARTED TO HANG BTWN 25 TO 30 PERCENT. THE EGT STARTED CLBING TOWARD 750 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE FEATHER LEVER. A SECOND ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO START #2, AND THE ENG REACTED THE SAME WAY. THE FEATHER LEVER WAS AGAIN IMMEDIATELY PULLED. MY FO ENTERED THE COCKPIT DURING THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO START THE #2 ENG. WE ELECTED TO START #1 ALLOWING #2 TO COOL DOWN. UPON STARTING #1, THE RPM'S HUNG AT ABOUT 30 PERCENT, THE EGT STARTED CLBING ABOVE 700 DEGS, AND THE FEATHER LEVER WAS IMMEDIATELY PULLED. AT THIS TIME I WAS ADVISED BY GND PERSONNEL THAT THE INLET PLUGS FOR BOTH ENGS WERE STILL IN PLACE. I PROCEEDED TO OPS AND NOTIFIED FLT CTL AND MAINT. AN APPROPRIATE ENTRY WAS MADE IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: OTHER COVERS (PITOT TUBE, AIR CYCLE MACHINE) WERE NOT IN PLACE - JUST THE ENG INLET PLUGS. NO STREAMERS ON INLET PLUGS. DARKNESS. DURING ENG STARTS, ENGS ACTED AS IF THERE WAS A GPU PROBLEM.

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.