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DC9-30 captain accidentally had an engine fire when starting the right engine due to fuel build up during starting with the ignition off and turned on when starting the left engine while right engine had not yet unwound for a restart.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 527814 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200110 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dtw.airport |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : pit.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 30 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 527814 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
Engine fire during start. We received clearance to push back and start. There was confusion on where to push to, where the traffic was. We were in our second aircraft due to a mechanical problem with the other one. We were late and in the middle of a long day on the third day of the trip. The days were long and rushed. The nights prior were short. I was tired. The events of the previous weeks were a distraction. In short I allowed myself to be distracted during start, and did not have the ignition on when starting. In an effort to hurry I was going to let the engine wind down after cranking and start the other engine in the meantime. When I turned on the ignition for the left engine start it lit the remaining fuel in the right engine. The right engine had not stopped turning yet so I couldn't crank again till it did stop. The fire was extinguished. There was no damage after inspections and running the engine. Maintenance cleared it for service. Lessons learned: be expeditious but never rush. Never forget all checklists.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DC9-30 CAPT ACCIDENTALLY HAD AN ENG FIRE WHEN STARTING THE RIGHT ENG DUE TO FUEL BUILD UP DURING STARTING WITH THE IGNITION OFF AND TURNED ON WHEN STARTING THE LEFT ENG WHILE RIGHT ENG HAD NOT YET UNWOUND FOR A RESTART.
Narrative: ENG FIRE DURING START. WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO PUSH BACK AND START. THERE WAS CONFUSION ON WHERE TO PUSH TO, WHERE THE TFC WAS. WE WERE IN OUR SECOND ACFT DUE TO A MECHANICAL PROB WITH THE OTHER ONE. WE WERE LATE AND IN THE MIDDLE OF A LONG DAY ON THE THIRD DAY OF THE TRIP. THE DAYS WERE LONG AND RUSHED. THE NIGHTS PRIOR WERE SHORT. I WAS TIRED. THE EVENTS OF THE PREVIOUS WEEKS WERE A DISTRACTION. IN SHORT I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTRACTED DURING START, AND DID NOT HAVE THE IGNITION ON WHEN STARTING. IN AN EFFORT TO HURRY I WAS GOING TO LET THE ENG WIND DOWN AFTER CRANKING AND START THE OTHER ENG IN THE MEANTIME. WHEN I TURNED ON THE IGNITION FOR THE LEFT ENG START IT LIT THE REMAINING FUEL IN THE RIGHT ENG. THE RIGHT ENG HAD NOT STOPPED TURNING YET SO I COULDN'T CRANK AGAIN TILL IT DID STOP. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE AFTER INSPECTIONS AND RUNNING THE ENG. MAINT CLRED IT FOR SVC. LESSONS LEARNED: BE EXPEDITIOUS BUT NEVER RUSH. NEVER FORGET ALL CHECKLISTS.
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.