Engine tail pipe fire reported to flight on taxi out. Gate return for inspection.

Attributes
ACN	319662
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cos
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	319662
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight returned to gate at cos after cos ground control reported that ground personnel at adjacent gate had reported flame at engine. We had surmised that flame had come from excess fuel in engine after an aborted start on engine #1 due to inoperative ignitor. Note all operations man procedures for aborted start no light off, engine had been motored after fuel cut off. Although all cockpit indications were normal and flame no longer visible, we elected to return and have our maintenance check engine because the description by ground control left us unsure of total aircraft safety. Maintenance and tech services confirmed our evaluation of excess fuel. Maintenance checked engine and cleared logbook. Flight departure cos and flight to dfw was routine. Inoperative ignitor was written up en route, flight crew placard. Note: both engines started normal on #1 ignitor as per MEL. This took place at dawn on clear cool morning and after deice of aircraft. Aircraft was broadside to terminal building and visible to terminal windows and ground personnel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG TAIL PIPE FIRE RPTED TO FLT ON TAXI OUT. GATE RETURN FOR INSPECTION.

Narrative: FLT RETURNED TO GATE AT COS AFTER COS GND CTL RPTED THAT GND PERSONNEL AT ADJACENT GATE HAD RPTED FLAME AT ENG. WE HAD SURMISED THAT FLAME HAD COME FROM EXCESS FUEL IN ENG AFTER AN ABORTED START ON ENG #1 DUE TO INOP IGNITOR. NOTE ALL OPS MAN PROCS FOR ABORTED START NO LIGHT OFF, ENG HAD BEEN MOTORED AFTER FUEL CUT OFF. ALTHOUGH ALL COCKPIT INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL AND FLAME NO LONGER VISIBLE, WE ELECTED TO RETURN AND HAVE OUR MAINT CHK ENG BECAUSE THE DESCRIPTION BY GND CTL LEFT US UNSURE OF TOTAL ACFT SAFETY. MAINT AND TECH SVCS CONFIRMED OUR EVALUATION OF EXCESS FUEL. MAINT CHKED ENG AND CLRED LOGBOOK. FLT DEP COS AND FLT TO DFW WAS ROUTINE. INOP IGNITOR WAS WRITTEN UP ENRTE, FLC PLACARD. NOTE: BOTH ENGS STARTED NORMAL ON #1 IGNITOR AS PER MEL. THIS TOOK PLACE AT DAWN ON CLR COOL MORNING AND AFTER DEICE OF ACFT. ACFT WAS BROADSIDE TO TERMINAL BUILDING AND VISIBLE TO TERMINAL WINDOWS AND GND PERSONNEL.

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.