Narrative:

While pushing back from the southeast gate area at ZZZ, we attempted to start the #1 engine. With no egt rise, we aborted the start, lowered the start lever to cut-off, motored the engine for 60 seconds and completed the QRH items. The first officer and I agreed the problem was the failure of the left engine, right igniter and referred then to the MEL section 74-01-04. We called for maintenance via frequency X to meet us back at the gate. They replied by requesting us not to return to the gate yet to be pushed to the area south of gate X, so they could address the problem there. While waiting for maintenance we complied with the MEL items of operation (O) insuring the left ignition functioned properly as per the MEL by starting the left engine again on the left igniter. Residual fuel from the previous failed start caused significant smoke during start. We shut down the engine and reported that event also to maintenance. A line maintenance supervisor talked to us via interphone while we reviewed the MEL with him. He and 2 other maintenance personnel worked on the problem. Later he requested us to then start the left engine again. (Note: the igniter now was in the 'both' position as per MEL 'O'). Once we again started the left engine, maintenance asked us to start the right engine to 'compare smoke levels for both engines.' the maintenance supervisor later (XA18 local) announced 'you are good to go.' I asked him specifically to notify maintenance control to let ZZZ1 contract maintenance know of our write-up to be addressed. (Note: maintenance logs reflect all references to right ignition failure and to smoke references I made.) I wrote up the right igniter as being inoperative and that the maintenance addressed the issues (procedures). Upon arrival at ZZZ1, I reminded the agent of the write-up thinking maintenance control had notified the contract maintenance in ZZZ1 as per my request with the ZZZ line maintenance supervisor. I was advised by ZZZ cpo the following week (oct/tue/02 XA25 local) that the required maintenance MEL procedure and required maintenance notifications to down-line maintenance were not made by maintenance ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE L ENG R IGNITION SYS INOP. 'NO GO' ITEM SINCE IT IS PWRED FROM STANDBY BUS.

Narrative: WHILE PUSHING BACK FROM THE SE GATE AREA AT ZZZ, WE ATTEMPTED TO START THE #1 ENG. WITH NO EGT RISE, WE ABORTED THE START, LOWERED THE START LEVER TO CUT-OFF, MOTORED THE ENG FOR 60 SECONDS AND COMPLETED THE QRH ITEMS. THE FO AND I AGREED THE PROB WAS THE FAILURE OF THE L ENG, R IGNITER AND REFERRED THEN TO THE MEL SECTION 74-01-04. WE CALLED FOR MAINT VIA FREQ X TO MEET US BACK AT THE GATE. THEY REPLIED BY REQUESTING US NOT TO RETURN TO THE GATE YET TO BE PUSHED TO THE AREA S OF GATE X, SO THEY COULD ADDRESS THE PROB THERE. WHILE WAITING FOR MAINT WE COMPLIED WITH THE MEL ITEMS OF OP (O) INSURING THE L IGNITION FUNCTIONED PROPERLY AS PER THE MEL BY STARTING THE L ENG AGAIN ON THE L IGNITER. RESIDUAL FUEL FROM THE PREVIOUS FAILED START CAUSED SIGNIFICANT SMOKE DURING START. WE SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND RPTED THAT EVENT ALSO TO MAINT. A LINE MAINT SUPVR TALKED TO US VIA INTERPHONE WHILE WE REVIEWED THE MEL WITH HIM. HE AND 2 OTHER MAINT PERSONNEL WORKED ON THE PROB. LATER HE REQUESTED US TO THEN START THE L ENG AGAIN. (NOTE: THE IGNITER NOW WAS IN THE 'BOTH' POS AS PER MEL 'O'). ONCE WE AGAIN STARTED THE L ENG, MAINT ASKED US TO START THE R ENG TO 'COMPARE SMOKE LEVELS FOR BOTH ENGS.' THE MAINT SUPVR LATER (XA18 LCL) ANNOUNCED 'YOU ARE GOOD TO GO.' I ASKED HIM SPECIFICALLY TO NOTIFY MAINT CTL TO LET ZZZ1 CONTRACT MAINT KNOW OF OUR WRITE-UP TO BE ADDRESSED. (NOTE: MAINT LOGS REFLECT ALL REFS TO R IGNITION FAILURE AND TO SMOKE REFS I MADE.) I WROTE UP THE R IGNITER AS BEING INOP AND THAT THE MAINT ADDRESSED THE ISSUES (PROCS). UPON ARR AT ZZZ1, I REMINDED THE AGENT OF THE WRITE-UP THINKING MAINT CTL HAD NOTIFIED THE CONTRACT MAINT IN ZZZ1 AS PER MY REQUEST WITH THE ZZZ LINE MAINT SUPVR. I WAS ADVISED BY ZZZ CPO THE FOLLOWING WK (OCT/TUE/02 XA25 LCL) THAT THE REQUIRED MAINT MEL PROC AND REQUIRED MAINT NOTIFICATIONS TO DOWN-LINE MAINT WERE NOT MADE BY MAINT ZZZ.

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.