Narrative:

I was captain on air carrier airlines xyz from dtw to mht. We waited about 20 mins for a pushback tug, and when he arrived we had trouble establishing interphone communications, the driver got a new headset and we called company ramp control for a push clearance. We were advised to stand by. They called us back and advised that we were cleared to push after an inbound aircraft parked at gate x-y. Once it was parked we began the pushback, and were cleared for engine start. While starting the right engine, I observed no light off and realized that the ignition was off, due to the before start check not having been completed. I discontinued the start, we ran the before start check, and I started the left engine with the intention of coming back to the right engine after it had spooled down. The first officer, who was monitoring ramp control, said another aircraft reported that we had an engine fire. It was at that time I realized that I had failed to place the right fuel control lever to cut off during the aborted start of the right engine. I thought I had done this, but somehow overlooked it. As a result, the fuel in the right engine lit off when the ignition had been turned off, resulting in a tailpipe fire. We ran the engine fire checklist, called the fire trucks, and the fire was extinguished. We did not do an emergency evacuate/evacuation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 ON #2 ENG START EXPERIENCED A TAILPIPE FIRE CAUSED BY FAILURE TO ACCOMPLISH THE BEFORE START CHKLIST.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON ACR AIRLINES XYZ FROM DTW TO MHT. WE WAITED ABOUT 20 MINS FOR A PUSHBACK TUG, AND WHEN HE ARRIVED WE HAD TROUBLE ESTABLISHING INTERPHONE COMS, THE DRIVER GOT A NEW HEADSET AND WE CALLED COMPANY RAMP CTL FOR A PUSH CLRNC. WE WERE ADVISED TO STAND BY. THEY CALLED US BACK AND ADVISED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO PUSH AFTER AN INBOUND ACFT PARKED AT GATE X-Y. ONCE IT WAS PARKED WE BEGAN THE PUSHBACK, AND WERE CLRED FOR ENG START. WHILE STARTING THE R ENG, I OBSERVED NO LIGHT OFF AND REALIZED THAT THE IGNITION WAS OFF, DUE TO THE BEFORE START CHK NOT HAVING BEEN COMPLETED. I DISCONTINUED THE START, WE RAN THE BEFORE START CHK, AND I STARTED THE L ENG WITH THE INTENTION OF COMING BACK TO THE R ENG AFTER IT HAD SPOOLED DOWN. THE FO, WHO WAS MONITORING RAMP CTL, SAID ANOTHER ACFT RPTED THAT WE HAD AN ENG FIRE. IT WAS AT THAT TIME I REALIZED THAT I HAD FAILED TO PLACE THE R FUEL CTL LEVER TO CUT OFF DURING THE ABORTED START OF THE R ENG. I THOUGHT I HAD DONE THIS, BUT SOMEHOW OVERLOOKED IT. AS A RESULT, THE FUEL IN THE R ENG LIT OFF WHEN THE IGNITION HAD BEEN TURNED OFF, RESULTING IN A TAILPIPE FIRE. WE RAN THE ENG FIRE CHKLIST, CALLED THE FIRE TRUCKS, AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. WE DID NOT DO AN EMER EVAC.

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.