An MD80 crew, upon starting #2 engine after a taxi delay at iah, experienced engine indications remi...

Attributes
ACN	557281
Time
Date	200208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : iah.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	557281
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 other flight crewb other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Taxied out from gate on 2 engines. A long line preceded us, so I elected to shut down #2 engine. On starting the #2 engine my first officer said the engine was not spooling properly and I stopped the aircraft, set brakes and after a quick look at the problem, my first thought was a hung start. As I turned off the right hydraulic pump I was informed by ground control that there was smoke coming from my right engine. I closed the fuel shut off lever and told the first officer to motor the engine. I called ground to ask if they saw any flames and was told that my right engine was on fire and they were rolling the emergency vehicles. We had no indication of a fire in the cockpit, but with this visual notice of fire I had no choice, but to fire both bottles into the #2 engine and call for the fire on ground checklist. The emergency vehicles arrived and I was told there was no smoke or fire and the engine appeared ok. We taxied back to the gate with the emergency vehicles following. No evacuate/evacuation or other emergency procedures were required. There was no time for me to troubleshoot this problem from the cockpit, but in retrospect I believe that the tower was not able to see the aircraft as we were on taxiway wa between taxiway wd and the runway 15L run-up area. I believe an overzealous pilot behind us saw smoke from the right engine which was either hung or did not light off and assumed we were on fire. If my premise is correct that the aircraft behind us incorrectly told the tower that we were on fire, we might do well to advise pilots to state what they see and be more specific in their assessment of the situation. There is a big difference between sighting smoke and fire. This aircraft was returned to service the next day, so I cannot imagine that we actually had a fire.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, UPON STARTING #2 ENG AFTER A TAXI DELAY AT IAH, EXPERIENCED ENG INDICATIONS REMINISCENT WITH A HUNG START. RPTS OF THE ENG BEING ON FIRE SPAWNED FIRE BOTTLE DEPLOYMENT.

Narrative: TAXIED OUT FROM GATE ON 2 ENGS. A LONG LINE PRECEDED US, SO I ELECTED TO SHUT DOWN #2 ENG. ON STARTING THE #2 ENG MY FO SAID THE ENG WAS NOT SPOOLING PROPERLY AND I STOPPED THE ACFT, SET BRAKES AND AFTER A QUICK LOOK AT THE PROB, MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS A HUNG START. AS I TURNED OFF THE R HYD PUMP I WAS INFORMED BY GND CTL THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM MY R ENG. I CLOSED THE FUEL SHUT OFF LEVER AND TOLD THE FO TO MOTOR THE ENG. I CALLED GND TO ASK IF THEY SAW ANY FLAMES AND WAS TOLD THAT MY R ENG WAS ON FIRE AND THEY WERE ROLLING THE EMER VEHICLES. WE HAD NO INDICATION OF A FIRE IN THE COCKPIT, BUT WITH THIS VISUAL NOTICE OF FIRE I HAD NO CHOICE, BUT TO FIRE BOTH BOTTLES INTO THE #2 ENG AND CALL FOR THE FIRE ON GND CHKLIST. THE EMER VEHICLES ARRIVED AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FIRE AND THE ENG APPEARED OK. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE WITH THE EMER VEHICLES FOLLOWING. NO EVAC OR OTHER EMER PROCS WERE REQUIRED. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR ME TO TROUBLESHOOT THIS PROB FROM THE COCKPIT, BUT IN RETROSPECT I BELIEVE THAT THE TWR WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE THE ACFT AS WE WERE ON TXWY WA BTWN TXWY WD AND THE RWY 15L RUN-UP AREA. I BELIEVE AN OVERZEALOUS PLT BEHIND US SAW SMOKE FROM THE R ENG WHICH WAS EITHER HUNG OR DID NOT LIGHT OFF AND ASSUMED WE WERE ON FIRE. IF MY PREMISE IS CORRECT THAT THE ACFT BEHIND US INCORRECTLY TOLD THE TWR THAT WE WERE ON FIRE, WE MIGHT DO WELL TO ADVISE PLTS TO STATE WHAT THEY SEE AND BE MORE SPECIFIC IN THEIR ASSESSMENT OF THE SIT. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BTWN SIGHTING SMOKE AND FIRE. THIS ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC THE NEXT DAY, SO I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD A FIRE.

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.

An MD80 crew, upon starting #2 engine after a taxi delay at iah, experienced engine indications reminiscent with a hung start. Reports of the engine being on fire spawned fire bottle deployment.