Tail pipe fire on engine start on dc-9.

Attributes
ACN	271359
Time
Date	199405
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7200 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	271359
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 125 flight time total : 25400 flight time type : 4830
ASRS Report	271076
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Captain was starting engine and it torched on start as reported by ground crew and ground control. Ground control called us even though we were not in their area yet. We told them our push crew (mechanics) had us fully informed. We did not call the fire department or evacuate/evacuation due to the fact that our ground crew gave us a very detailed information on the interphone. Captain discontinued start, motored engine, pulled fire shutoff handle, fired both bottles as a precaution. (No fire indication in cockpit.) after our push crew confirmed the fire was out, we were towed back to the gate. There was no damage to exterior of engine or plane. Interior of engine possibly had some damage. They were going to inspect it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL PIPE FIRE ON ENG START ON DC-9.

Narrative: CAPT WAS STARTING ENG AND IT TORCHED ON START AS RPTED BY GND CREW AND GND CTL. GND CTL CALLED US EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NOT IN THEIR AREA YET. WE TOLD THEM OUR PUSH CREW (MECHS) HAD US FULLY INFORMED. WE DID NOT CALL THE FIRE DEPT OR EVAC DUE TO THE FACT THAT OUR GND CREW GAVE US A VERY DETAILED INFO ON THE INTERPHONE. CAPT DISCONTINUED START, MOTORED ENG, PULLED FIRE SHUTOFF HANDLE, FIRED BOTH BOTTLES AS A PRECAUTION. (NO FIRE INDICATION IN COCKPIT.) AFTER OUR PUSH CREW CONFIRMED THE FIRE WAS OUT, WE WERE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO EXTERIOR OF ENG OR PLANE. INTERIOR OF ENG POSSIBLY HAD SOME DAMAGE. THEY WERE GOING TO INSPECT IT.

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.