Narrative:

While starting engine #1, after pushback, tug disconnected and guideman waiting to marshall us, engine was slow to spool. Reached 21% N2 with N1 indicating 4%, #1 start lever was placed in idle position. At first there was no fuel flow, then no light off. We performed the abnormal start qrc and after we moved the start switch to cutoff, I noticed our guideman making strange motions that I could not make out. He was not on the headset so I opened my window and he told me we had a tail cone fuel fire. We called the fire trucks and in seconds the fire went out by itself. There were no indications of fire in the cockpit, and not bottle was fired. The fire was small and went out quickly. Communications from the cockpit to operations and ground crew were difficult and frustrating and we could not talk to maintenance or dispatch except dispatch through ACARS. We finally were given clearance back to gate and were towed there, where we made all the appropriate calls to maintenance and operations. The engine was inspected for fire damage and none was found. After the start was attempted again with the ignition in both, the engine started slowly but normally. We tried the right ignition again on 2 subsequent start attempts and they were both normal, so the mechanic and maintenance and we agreed that the aircraft was safe and we departed at XD52 for an uneventful flight to sfo.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 DURING L ENG START INCURRED A TAILPIPE FIRE. DECLARED AN EMER. CAUSED BY COLD SOAKED ENG SLOW TO SPOOL ON START.

Narrative: WHILE STARTING ENG #1, AFTER PUSHBACK, TUG DISCONNECTED AND GUIDEMAN WAITING TO MARSHALL US, ENG WAS SLOW TO SPOOL. REACHED 21% N2 WITH N1 INDICATING 4%, #1 START LEVER WAS PLACED IN IDLE POS. AT FIRST THERE WAS NO FUEL FLOW, THEN NO LIGHT OFF. WE PERFORMED THE ABNORMAL START QRC AND AFTER WE MOVED THE START SWITCH TO CUTOFF, I NOTICED OUR GUIDEMAN MAKING STRANGE MOTIONS THAT I COULD NOT MAKE OUT. HE WAS NOT ON THE HEADSET SO I OPENED MY WINDOW AND HE TOLD ME WE HAD A TAIL CONE FUEL FIRE. WE CALLED THE FIRE TRUCKS AND IN SECONDS THE FIRE WENT OUT BY ITSELF. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF FIRE IN THE COCKPIT, AND NOT BOTTLE WAS FIRED. THE FIRE WAS SMALL AND WENT OUT QUICKLY. COMS FROM THE COCKPIT TO OPS AND GND CREW WERE DIFFICULT AND FRUSTRATING AND WE COULD NOT TALK TO MAINT OR DISPATCH EXCEPT DISPATCH THROUGH ACARS. WE FINALLY WERE GIVEN CLRNC BACK TO GATE AND WERE TOWED THERE, WHERE WE MADE ALL THE APPROPRIATE CALLS TO MAINT AND OPS. THE ENG WAS INSPECTED FOR FIRE DAMAGE AND NONE WAS FOUND. AFTER THE START WAS ATTEMPTED AGAIN WITH THE IGNITION IN BOTH, THE ENG STARTED SLOWLY BUT NORMALLY. WE TRIED THE R IGNITION AGAIN ON 2 SUBSEQUENT START ATTEMPTS AND THEY WERE BOTH NORMAL, SO THE MECH AND MAINT AND WE AGREED THAT THE ACFT WAS SAFE AND WE DEPARTED AT XD52 FOR AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO SFO.

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.