Narrative:

Flight a boeing 727 blocked out from the cargo ramp at XX34 on sep/xx/94. Engine start was normal. The aircraft taxied to runway 25R. All normal procedures and checklists were completed prior to takeoff. Takeoff clearance was received at X45Z. On the runway engine spool-up and engine readings were normal for takeoff. Just prior to V1 speed, at 118 KIAS, the engine fire lights illuminated and the warning bell sounded. The captain elected to reject the takeoff. The aircraft was brought to a stop with approximately 4000 ft of runway remaining. The #3 engine fire handle (which was illuminated) was pulled and the fire light went out. Fire bottles were not discharged. Engine fire detection loops checked okay. Checklists pertaining to rejected takeoff, engine fire, and engine shutdown were completed after taxiing clear of the runway. Lax tower had been informed of the rejected takeoff and engine fire indication and asked to deploy the crash crew. When crash fire rescue equipment arrived at the aircraft they reported no evidence of fire on the #3 engine. Aircraft was towed to the ramp. Maintenance inspection revealed that the starter on the #3 engine had failed catastrophically, damaging the fire warning loop nearby. The probable cause of the starter failure was that it was not disengaged after engine start. The so stated that the pneumatic duct pressure did rise, during the #3 engine start, when he released the start switch. This indicates that the start valve closed and that, therefore, the starter should have disengaged. Flight safety and maintenance departures are still investigating. Supplemental information from acn 284354: so reported that during engine starting 1, 2, 3. Duct pressure rise at end of start sequence was normal and in line with previous experience at engine starts. Contributing factors: modified B727-re with conversion kits. No previous experience with these type engines and no previous training as to different parameters at the end of the start sequence for the ability to determine cutout.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ABORTED IN B-727 FREIGHTER.

Narrative: FLT A BOEING 727 BLOCKED OUT FROM THE CARGO RAMP AT XX34 ON SEP/XX/94. ENG START WAS NORMAL. THE ACFT TAXIED TO RWY 25R. ALL NORMAL PROCS AND CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED PRIOR TO TKOF. TKOF CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AT X45Z. ON THE RWY ENG SPOOL-UP AND ENG READINGS WERE NORMAL FOR TKOF. JUST PRIOR TO V1 SPD, AT 118 KIAS, THE ENG FIRE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE WARNING BELL SOUNDED. THE CAPT ELECTED TO REJECT THE TKOF. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP WITH APPROX 4000 FT OF RWY REMAINING. THE #3 ENG FIRE HANDLE (WHICH WAS ILLUMINATED) WAS PULLED AND THE FIRE LIGHT WENT OUT. FIRE BOTTLES WERE NOT DISCHARGED. ENG FIRE DETECTION LOOPS CHKED OKAY. CHKLISTS PERTAINING TO REJECTED TKOF, ENG FIRE, AND ENG SHUTDOWN WERE COMPLETED AFTER TAXIING CLR OF THE RWY. LAX TWR HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE REJECTED TKOF AND ENG FIRE INDICATION AND ASKED TO DEPLOY THE CRASH CREW. WHEN CFR ARRIVED AT THE ACFT THEY RPTED NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE ON THE #3 ENG. ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE RAMP. MAINT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE STARTER ON THE #3 ENG HAD FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY, DAMAGING THE FIRE WARNING LOOP NEARBY. THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE STARTER FAILURE WAS THAT IT WAS NOT DISENGAGED AFTER ENG START. THE SO STATED THAT THE PNEUMATIC DUCT PRESSURE DID RISE, DURING THE #3 ENG START, WHEN HE RELEASED THE START SWITCH. THIS INDICATES THAT THE START VALVE CLOSED AND THAT, THEREFORE, THE STARTER SHOULD HAVE DISENGAGED. FLT SAFETY AND MAINT DEPS ARE STILL INVESTIGATING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 284354: SO RPTED THAT DURING ENG STARTING 1, 2, 3. DUCT PRESSURE RISE AT END OF START SEQUENCE WAS NORMAL AND IN LINE WITH PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AT ENG STARTS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MODIFIED B727-RE WITH CONVERSION KITS. NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THESE TYPE ENGS AND NO PREVIOUS TRAINING AS TO DIFFERENT PARAMETERS AT THE END OF THE START SEQUENCE FOR THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE CUTOUT.

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.