Narrative:

Prior to engine start, ground marshaller asked captain if he would like to start both engines prior to taxi. Captain acknowledged yes and shut left crew window. Cockpit crew ran before start engine checklist to completion and captain told first officer we were going to start both engines prior to taxi. Right engine was started using normal company procedures with ground power unit. Captain gave signal for gpu to be disconnected and chocks removed, called for after start checklist down to line. While ground personnel (not marshaller) were disconnecting gpu, first officer initiated left engine start. Captain was observing ground crew, noticed propeller turning, questioned first officer about left engine. First officer misunderstood captain's directions regarding start of both engines and had not completed after start checklist of right engine. Captain did not give command for left engine 'on the locks, clear, with a cap' prior to start. First officer did guard feather lever during start and asked if captain wanted to shut down left engine. Captain replied no, while maintaining continuos visual contact with ground crew. Marshaller made signal to hold position or shut down. I don't remember because I was watching ramper near aircraft. Gpu appeared to be disconnected when becoming aware of situation. The left engine starting without calling for it startled me, the best action would have been to immediately shut down left engine. In the situation, I concentrated on my ground crew at the left nose of the aircraft and ensured she was clear and safe. The first officer and myself cleared up the checklist items and I clarified what my wishes had been. We made sure proper procedures were clear and this situation never occurs again. Supplemental information from acn 447489: contributing factors were: unclr directions. No decisions were made to shut engine down. In an effort to be 'swift,' things mistakenly got out of hand.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG STARTED WITH IMPROPER COORD WITH FLC AND GND CREW PUTS GND CREW IN HAZARDOUS SIT.

Narrative: PRIOR TO ENG START, GND MARSHALLER ASKED CAPT IF HE WOULD LIKE TO START BOTH ENGS PRIOR TO TAXI. CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED YES AND SHUT L CREW WINDOW. COCKPIT CREW RAN BEFORE START ENG CHKLIST TO COMPLETION AND CAPT TOLD FO WE WERE GOING TO START BOTH ENGS PRIOR TO TAXI. R ENG WAS STARTED USING NORMAL COMPANY PROCS WITH GND PWR UNIT. CAPT GAVE SIGNAL FOR GPU TO BE DISCONNECTED AND CHOCKS REMOVED, CALLED FOR AFTER START CHKLIST DOWN TO LINE. WHILE GND PERSONNEL (NOT MARSHALLER) WERE DISCONNECTING GPU, FO INITIATED L ENG START. CAPT WAS OBSERVING GND CREW, NOTICED PROP TURNING, QUESTIONED FO ABOUT L ENG. FO MISUNDERSTOOD CAPT'S DIRECTIONS REGARDING START OF BOTH ENGS AND HAD NOT COMPLETED AFTER START CHKLIST OF R ENG. CAPT DID NOT GIVE COMMAND FOR L ENG 'ON THE LOCKS, CLR, WITH A CAP' PRIOR TO START. FO DID GUARD FEATHER LEVER DURING START AND ASKED IF CAPT WANTED TO SHUT DOWN L ENG. CAPT REPLIED NO, WHILE MAINTAINING CONTINUOS VISUAL CONTACT WITH GND CREW. MARSHALLER MADE SIGNAL TO HOLD POS OR SHUT DOWN. I DON'T REMEMBER BECAUSE I WAS WATCHING RAMPER NEAR ACFT. GPU APPEARED TO BE DISCONNECTED WHEN BECOMING AWARE OF SIT. THE L ENG STARTING WITHOUT CALLING FOR IT STARTLED ME, THE BEST ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN L ENG. IN THE SIT, I CONCENTRATED ON MY GND CREW AT THE L NOSE OF THE ACFT AND ENSURED SHE WAS CLR AND SAFE. THE FO AND MYSELF CLRED UP THE CHKLIST ITEMS AND I CLARIFIED WHAT MY WISHES HAD BEEN. WE MADE SURE PROPER PROCS WERE CLR AND THIS SIT NEVER OCCURS AGAIN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 447489: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: UNCLR DIRECTIONS. NO DECISIONS WERE MADE TO SHUT ENG DOWN. IN AN EFFORT TO BE 'SWIFT,' THINGS MISTAKENLY GOT OUT OF HAND.

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.