Narrative:

After completion of checklists, copilot called clearance delivery to notify them of our intention to push back. They informed us that there was a ground stop on all traffic to lga. The company wanted us to push back on time, so the aircraft was pushed clear of the gate and we sat monitoring ground for our release. After approximately 65 mins we were cleared to start engines in anticipation of being released. Selecting #1 engine for start, the start valve failed to open. Maintenance was called, communication was set up for a manual start which was accomplished as per our abnormal checklist. The other engines were started normally and the flight proceeded uneventfully to lga. En route to lga, I began to rethink my decision to go without having a maintenance carryover item placed in the logbook. In my haste to deliver my passenger (who were already delayed over an hour) I had misread my flight operations manual -- thinking since I was off the gate, I could write up the start valve en route and have it fixed in lga. Although the maintenance man in boston assured me we were ok to go, I feel I should have insisted on his 'signoff' or at least his placarding of the #1 start valve as inoperative. Even though this incident is more of a paperwork item than a safety item, I will not be in such a hurry the next time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 PIC VOICES HIS CONCERNS WITH CONTINUING HIS FLT WITHOUT ENTERING THE INOP ENG START VALVE IN THE LOGBOOK AND HAVING MAINT SIGN IT OFF.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETION OF CHKLISTS, COPLT CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY TO NOTIFY THEM OF OUR INTENTION TO PUSH BACK. THEY INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A GND STOP ON ALL TFC TO LGA. THE COMPANY WANTED US TO PUSH BACK ON TIME, SO THE ACFT WAS PUSHED CLR OF THE GATE AND WE SAT MONITORING GND FOR OUR RELEASE. AFTER APPROX 65 MINS WE WERE CLRED TO START ENGS IN ANTICIPATION OF BEING RELEASED. SELECTING #1 ENG FOR START, THE START VALVE FAILED TO OPEN. MAINT WAS CALLED, COM WAS SET UP FOR A MANUAL START WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED AS PER OUR ABNORMAL CHKLIST. THE OTHER ENGS WERE STARTED NORMALLY AND THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO LGA. ENRTE TO LGA, I BEGAN TO RETHINK MY DECISION TO GO WITHOUT HAVING A MAINT CARRYOVER ITEM PLACED IN THE LOGBOOK. IN MY HASTE TO DELIVER MY PAX (WHO WERE ALREADY DELAYED OVER AN HR) I HAD MISREAD MY FLT OPS MANUAL -- THINKING SINCE I WAS OFF THE GATE, I COULD WRITE UP THE START VALVE ENRTE AND HAVE IT FIXED IN LGA. ALTHOUGH THE MAINT MAN IN BOSTON ASSURED ME WE WERE OK TO GO, I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED ON HIS 'SIGNOFF' OR AT LEAST HIS PLACARDING OF THE #1 START VALVE AS INOP. EVEN THOUGH THIS INCIDENT IS MORE OF A PAPERWORK ITEM THAN A SAFETY ITEM, I WILL NOT BE IN SUCH A HURRY THE NEXT TIME.

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.