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A B737-300 first officer reported that, during engine start, the ground crewman called out fire in the #2 engine. The appropriate checklists were followed and the aircraft taxied back to the gate. There were no indications of fire on the flight deck. There was some confusion on the part of the ground crew as to whether or not they actually saw flame or only sparks. The starter was changed out.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 451598 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : pushback |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 17800 flight time type : 8000 |
| ASRS Report | 451598 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Pushed back and set parking brake. Starting #2 engine, ground crewman on headset said, 'you have fire in #2 engine.' I asked if flames or smoke and then he said, 'you have sparks coming out the front of #2 engine.' we had no lights or bell in cockpit that indicated fire. We did the engine fire severe damage checklist items and the aborted engine start checklist, followed by QRH follow-up checklist. I asked ground crewman to check rear of engine #2 for fire/smoke. He replied, 'none noticed.' we called flight attendants, maintenance, and ramp for return to gate. Maintenance showed up and after 30 mins said that we had an engine starter come apart and starter shaft must have caused the sparks. We called ground crewman and supervisor into cockpit. They replied they never saw fire or flames but only sparks. After 3 hour delay for starter exchange, we changed aircraft and left on original trip for dtw.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-300 FO RPTED THAT, DURING ENG START, THE GND CREWMAN CALLED OUT FIRE IN THE #2 ENG. THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS WERE FOLLOWED AND THE ACFT TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF FIRE ON THE FLT DECK. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON THE PART OF THE GND CREW AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY ACTUALLY SAW FLAME OR ONLY SPARKS. THE STARTER WAS CHANGED OUT.
Narrative: PUSHED BACK AND SET PARKING BRAKE. STARTING #2 ENG, GND CREWMAN ON HEADSET SAID, 'YOU HAVE FIRE IN #2 ENG.' I ASKED IF FLAMES OR SMOKE AND THEN HE SAID, 'YOU HAVE SPARKS COMING OUT THE FRONT OF #2 ENG.' WE HAD NO LIGHTS OR BELL IN COCKPIT THAT INDICATED FIRE. WE DID THE ENG FIRE SEVERE DAMAGE CHKLIST ITEMS AND THE ABORTED ENG START CHKLIST, FOLLOWED BY QRH FOLLOW-UP CHKLIST. I ASKED GND CREWMAN TO CHK REAR OF ENG #2 FOR FIRE/SMOKE. HE REPLIED, 'NONE NOTICED.' WE CALLED FLT ATTENDANTS, MAINT, AND RAMP FOR RETURN TO GATE. MAINT SHOWED UP AND AFTER 30 MINS SAID THAT WE HAD AN ENG STARTER COME APART AND STARTER SHAFT MUST HAVE CAUSED THE SPARKS. WE CALLED GND CREWMAN AND SUPVR INTO COCKPIT. THEY REPLIED THEY NEVER SAW FIRE OR FLAMES BUT ONLY SPARKS. AFTER 3 HR DELAY FOR STARTER EXCHANGE, WE CHANGED ACFT AND LEFT ON ORIGINAL TRIP FOR DTW.
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.