Narrative:

We were taxiing for takeoff at chicago O'hare airport. We were taxiing on 1 engine in accordance with established company procedures. When we got closer to the runway, the captain commenced starting the remaining engine. With a strong wind aft of the aircraft, the engine egt began to rise beyond acceptable limits. So the captain discontinued the start, and continued to motor the engine to remove any excess fuel. Then tower told us they saw flame and smoke from the left engine. We, however, had no indication of any problem. Immediately after tower called, an unknown aircraft stated the engine looked normal. When the captain had waited a sufficient amount of time, he began to start the engine again with the aircraft pointed in a new direction. Tower again said he saw smoke. By that time the engine was started with normal indications. We had absolutely no indication of any abnormality. With that report, however, the captain shut-down that engine. Tower asked if we required any assistance. We responded none required, and we would taxi back to the gate. As we turned the aircraft back toward the gate I saw several fire trucks approach our aircraft. So the captain stopped the aircraft. The trucks moved to the left engine. After several moments, a fireman reported on interphone they had foamed the engine and the fire was extinguished. We, however, were still saying to ourselves 'what fire?' we got towed back to the gate. Maintenance checked out the aircraft and found nothing wrong. Later that day we continued and flew 2 more flts on the same aircraft with no abnormalities. So through the entire ordeal, as well as now, I say 'what fire.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: at no time did the flight crew have contact with the emergency (fire) crew through ATCT local or ground frequency. The first, and only contact was when the fire crew plugged into the aircraft's external interphone, and that was after they had foamed the engine. The reporter states that the flight deck crew would have preferred to have contact with the fire crew before they started any action as in this instance no action was necessary. The reporter also reaffirmed that there was no problem with the aircraft, and no damage to the engine as a result of the foaming.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER FIRE CREW EXTINGUISHES A NON EXISTENT FIRE AT ORD.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING FOR TKOF AT CHICAGO O'HARE ARPT. WE WERE TAXIING ON 1 ENG IN ACCORDANCE WITH ESTABLISHED COMPANY PROCS. WHEN WE GOT CLOSER TO THE RWY, THE CAPT COMMENCED STARTING THE REMAINING ENG. WITH A STRONG WIND AFT OF THE ACFT, THE ENG EGT BEGAN TO RISE BEYOND ACCEPTABLE LIMITS. SO THE CAPT DISCONTINUED THE START, AND CONTINUED TO MOTOR THE ENG TO REMOVE ANY EXCESS FUEL. THEN TWR TOLD US THEY SAW FLAME AND SMOKE FROM THE L ENG. WE, HOWEVER, HAD NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TWR CALLED, AN UNKNOWN ACFT STATED THE ENG LOOKED NORMAL. WHEN THE CAPT HAD WAITED A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF TIME, HE BEGAN TO START THE ENG AGAIN WITH THE ACFT POINTED IN A NEW DIRECTION. TWR AGAIN SAID HE SAW SMOKE. BY THAT TIME THE ENG WAS STARTED WITH NORMAL INDICATIONS. WE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO INDICATION OF ANY ABNORMALITY. WITH THAT RPT, HOWEVER, THE CAPT SHUT-DOWN THAT ENG. TWR ASKED IF WE REQUIRED ANY ASSISTANCE. WE RESPONDED NONE REQUIRED, AND WE WOULD TAXI BACK TO THE GATE. AS WE TURNED THE ACFT BACK TOWARD THE GATE I SAW SEVERAL FIRE TRUCKS APCH OUR ACFT. SO THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT. THE TRUCKS MOVED TO THE L ENG. AFTER SEVERAL MOMENTS, A FIREMAN RPTED ON INTERPHONE THEY HAD FOAMED THE ENG AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. WE, HOWEVER, WERE STILL SAYING TO OURSELVES 'WHAT FIRE?' WE GOT TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. MAINT CHKED OUT THE ACFT AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. LATER THAT DAY WE CONTINUED AND FLEW 2 MORE FLTS ON THE SAME ACFT WITH NO ABNORMALITIES. SO THROUGH THE ENTIRE ORDEAL, AS WELL AS NOW, I SAY 'WHAT FIRE.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: AT NO TIME DID THE FLC HAVE CONTACT WITH THE EMER (FIRE) CREW THROUGH ATCT LCL OR GND FREQ. THE FIRST, AND ONLY CONTACT WAS WHEN THE FIRE CREW PLUGGED INTO THE ACFT'S EXTERNAL INTERPHONE, AND THAT WAS AFTER THEY HAD FOAMED THE ENG. THE RPTR STATES THAT THE FLT DECK CREW WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO HAVE CONTACT WITH THE FIRE CREW BEFORE THEY STARTED ANY ACTION AS IN THIS INSTANCE NO ACTION WAS NECESSARY. THE RPTR ALSO REAFFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE ACFT, AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ENG AS A RESULT OF THE FOAMING.

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.