A fire crew was called to an aircraft that had a torching engine on start-up at night.

Attributes
ACN	220820
Time
Date	199209
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	220820
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

After taxi out for departure, we were unable to start the #2 engine and returned to holding area for maintenance. We were directed to taxi to maintenance hardstand for evaluation. We remained there for a time while they attempted to troubleshoot the problem. The decision was made by maintenance to return to the gate to protect passenger connections. Maintenance personnel were on the headset to me as well as an observer located by the tail. Upon attempting to start the #1 engine, they reported a glow and a few flames coming out of the tailpipe. All indications in the cockpit were normal. We discontinued the start and motored the engine as required per procedure. Soon after, fire trucks arrived. They were called by someone in terminal operations. There were still no abnormal indications of any kind in the cockpit. The aircraft was then towed to the gate without further incident. The fire crew did not communication in any manner to the cockpit crew as to the nature or extent of the problem. The cockpit crew and maintenance personnel on the ground didn't know they were coming or when they were planning to leave the scene. Communicating with the cockpit is paramount for coordinated efforts to solve problems and decide upon actions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FIRE CREW WAS CALLED TO AN ACFT THAT HAD A TORCHING ENG ON START-UP AT NIGHT.

Narrative: AFTER TAXI OUT FOR DEP, WE WERE UNABLE TO START THE #2 ENG AND RETURNED TO HOLDING AREA FOR MAINT. WE WERE DIRECTED TO TAXI TO MAINT HARDSTAND FOR EVALUATION. WE REMAINED THERE FOR A TIME WHILE THEY ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM. THE DECISION WAS MADE BY MAINT TO RETURN TO THE GATE TO PROTECT PAX CONNECTIONS. MAINT PERSONNEL WERE ON THE HEADSET TO ME AS WELL AS AN OBSERVER LOCATED BY THE TAIL. UPON ATTEMPTING TO START THE #1 ENG, THEY RPTED A GLOW AND A FEW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE TAILPIPE. ALL INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT WERE NORMAL. WE DISCONTINUED THE START AND MOTORED THE ENG AS REQUIRED PER PROC. SOON AFTER, FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED. THEY WERE CALLED BY SOMEONE IN TERMINAL OPS. THERE WERE STILL NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS OF ANY KIND IN THE COCKPIT. THE ACFT WAS THEN TOWED TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE FIRE CREW DID NOT COM IN ANY MANNER TO THE COCKPIT CREW AS TO THE NATURE OR EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. THE COCKPIT CREW AND MAINT PERSONNEL ON THE GND DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE COMING OR WHEN THEY WERE PLANNING TO LEAVE THE SCENE. COMMUNICATING WITH THE COCKPIT IS PARAMOUNT FOR COORDINATED EFFORTS TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND DECIDE UPON ACTIONS.

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.