Narrative:

This report is about an engine starting incident after #2 engine maintenance on the right ignitor system. After pushback for flight XXXX we had 2 unsuccessful starts of the #2 engine for no ignition within 10 seconds of moving the start lever to idle. Each time we accomplished the abnormal engine start/tailpipe fire checklist and coordinated with maintenance. We returned to the gate and off loaded the passengers. A contract mechanic completed maintenance on the ignitor system and we were asked to do an engine run to test the ignitor repairs. On this start there was normal ignition after moving the start lever to idle. The start sequence was normal until approximately 40% N2, egt approximately 450. At this point we heard an abnormal noise and the contract mechanic directed the engine be shut down. The start lever was moved to cutoff and all engine instruments indicated the engine was shutting down properly. The captain verified with the mechanic that there was no fire, and that no personnel were injured. After verifying engine parameters, the captain elected to leave the cockpit to determine the nature of the problem. Prior to leaving, the captain directed that I accomplish the parking checklist. I did this immediately. The captain returned within 30 seconds stating that it sounded like an engine was still running. We reverified all engine parameters, both N1 and N2 were 0, and egt normal for engine shutdown. The captain once again left the cockpit to determine the source of the abnormal noise. The captain returned shortly, re-verifying engine parameters and cockpit switches, discovering the right start switch was still in the ground position. Captain selected the start switch to off and the APU switch to off as well. The abnormal noise terminated. While I cannot put an exact time to the sequence, I do believe the total elapsed time from the time the captain left the cockpit the first time until the start switch was selected to off position was less than 2 mins. In retrospect, it is apparent that we should have completed the abnormal engine start/tailpipe fire checklist prior to leaving the cockpit the first time to determine the cause of the abnormal noise. Additionally, since both the N1 and N2 were 0, we did not immediately associate the noise with engine starter failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 HAD THE R ENG IGNITION EXCITER REPLACED FOR A NO START PROB. THE NEXT START ATTEMPT, THE STARTER FAILED.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS ABOUT AN ENG STARTING INCIDENT AFTER #2 ENG MAINT ON THE R IGNITOR SYS. AFTER PUSHBACK FOR FLT XXXX WE HAD 2 UNSUCCESSFUL STARTS OF THE #2 ENG FOR NO IGNITION WITHIN 10 SECONDS OF MOVING THE START LEVER TO IDLE. EACH TIME WE ACCOMPLISHED THE ABNORMAL ENG START/TAILPIPE FIRE CHKLIST AND COORDINATED WITH MAINT. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND OFF LOADED THE PAXS. A CONTRACT MECH COMPLETED MAINT ON THE IGNITOR SYS AND WE WERE ASKED TO DO AN ENG RUN TO TEST THE IGNITOR REPAIRS. ON THIS START THERE WAS NORMAL IGNITION AFTER MOVING THE START LEVER TO IDLE. THE START SEQUENCE WAS NORMAL UNTIL APPROX 40% N2, EGT APPROX 450. AT THIS POINT WE HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE CONTRACT MECH DIRECTED THE ENG BE SHUT DOWN. THE START LEVER WAS MOVED TO CUTOFF AND ALL ENG INSTS INDICATED THE ENG WAS SHUTTING DOWN PROPERLY. THE CAPT VERIFIED WITH THE MECH THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE, AND THAT NO PERSONNEL WERE INJURED. AFTER VERIFYING ENG PARAMETERS, THE CAPT ELECTED TO LEAVE THE COCKPIT TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE PROB. PRIOR TO LEAVING, THE CAPT DIRECTED THAT I ACCOMPLISH THE PARKING CHKLIST. I DID THIS IMMEDIATELY. THE CAPT RETURNED WITHIN 30 SECONDS STATING THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE AN ENG WAS STILL RUNNING. WE REVERIFIED ALL ENG PARAMETERS, BOTH N1 AND N2 WERE 0, AND EGT NORMAL FOR ENG SHUTDOWN. THE CAPT ONCE AGAIN LEFT THE COCKPIT TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CAPT RETURNED SHORTLY, RE-VERIFYING ENG PARAMETERS AND COCKPIT SWITCHES, DISCOVERING THE R START SWITCH WAS STILL IN THE GND POS. CAPT SELECTED THE START SWITCH TO OFF AND THE APU SWITCH TO OFF AS WELL. THE ABNORMAL NOISE TERMINATED. WHILE I CANNOT PUT AN EXACT TIME TO THE SEQUENCE, I DO BELIEVE THE TOTAL ELAPSED TIME FROM THE TIME THE CAPT LEFT THE COCKPIT THE FIRST TIME UNTIL THE START SWITCH WAS SELECTED TO OFF POS WAS LESS THAN 2 MINS. IN RETROSPECT, IT IS APPARENT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED THE ABNORMAL ENG START/TAILPIPE FIRE CHKLIST PRIOR TO LEAVING THE COCKPIT THE FIRST TIME TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ABNORMAL NOISE. ADDITIONALLY, SINCE BOTH THE N1 AND N2 WERE 0, WE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY ASSOCIATE THE NOISE WITH ENG STARTER FAILURE.

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.