Narrative:

During pushback from gate at seatac, I commenced engine start on left engine. All start indications were normal. When fuel and ignition were initiated, I got an immediate light off but the egt was increasing at a normal rate. Immediately I was notified by my senior flight attendant and the tug operator that I had some flame erupt from the exhaust pipe. I aborted the start by using the prescribed checklist (kept engine motoring to purge fuel) and was notified that the flames ceased immediately. A call was made to maintenance and in the meantime I started the right engine. A passenger and her 2 children wished to deplane so I asked ground control to taxi back into the gate. In the meantime the mechanic got on interphone. I told him what had occurred and that I thought it was just some fuel pooling from the overnight stay. I restarted left engine, operations normal. (During both starts of the left engine, no parameter --egt, oil fuel flow, etc -- was exceeded.) I taxied back in to the gate and the passenger were deplaned. No more discussion took place with maintenance and we were pushed back once again. We departed seatac and arrived cincinnati operations normal. During maintenance checks on ground at cincinnati some blistering of the composite material was noted on left engine pylon. I was never told of this by ground personnel, although I spent 10 mins in the gate after the first start. Consequently the minor blistering was found in cincinnati after I had left the aircraft for my next segment.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-757 EXPERIENCES TAIL PIPE FIRE DURING ENG START PROC. ACFT NOT INSPECTED FOR FLAME DAMAGE.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK FROM GATE AT SEATAC, I COMMENCED ENG START ON L ENG. ALL START INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. WHEN FUEL AND IGNITION WERE INITIATED, I GOT AN IMMEDIATE LIGHT OFF BUT THE EGT WAS INCREASING AT A NORMAL RATE. IMMEDIATELY I WAS NOTIFIED BY MY SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT AND THE TUG OPERATOR THAT I HAD SOME FLAME ERUPT FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. I ABORTED THE START BY USING THE PRESCRIBED CHKLIST (KEPT ENG MOTORING TO PURGE FUEL) AND WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE FLAMES CEASED IMMEDIATELY. A CALL WAS MADE TO MAINT AND IN THE MEANTIME I STARTED THE R ENG. A PAX AND HER 2 CHILDREN WISHED TO DEPLANE SO I ASKED GND CTL TO TAXI BACK INTO THE GATE. IN THE MEANTIME THE MECH GOT ON INTERPHONE. I TOLD HIM WHAT HAD OCCURRED AND THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST SOME FUEL POOLING FROM THE OVERNIGHT STAY. I RESTARTED L ENG, OPS NORMAL. (DURING BOTH STARTS OF THE L ENG, NO PARAMETER --EGT, OIL FUEL FLOW, ETC -- WAS EXCEEDED.) I TAXIED BACK IN TO THE GATE AND THE PAX WERE DEPLANED. NO MORE DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE WITH MAINT AND WE WERE PUSHED BACK ONCE AGAIN. WE DEPARTED SEATAC AND ARRIVED CINCINNATI OPS NORMAL. DURING MAINT CHKS ON GND AT CINCINNATI SOME BLISTERING OF THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL WAS NOTED ON L ENG PYLON. I WAS NEVER TOLD OF THIS BY GND PERSONNEL, ALTHOUGH I SPENT 10 MINS IN THE GATE AFTER THE FIRST START. CONSEQUENTLY THE MINOR BLISTERING WAS FOUND IN CINCINNATI AFTER I HAD LEFT THE ACFT FOR MY NEXT SEGMENT.

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.