E145 crew had an engine hung start that would have developed into a hot start.

Attributes
ACN	574622
Time
Date	200302
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	574622
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas. itt eng instruments other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : testing
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After pushback, we started the #1 engine. Engine #2 was not yet running. We had normal acceleration and ignition during the start. At some point during the start, I was distraction by something. I do not know what it was. I thought we had had a normal start and did the after start flow. We got a caution message that the scheduled busses were off-line. As I was considering the cause for this, I noticed that the N2 on the #1 engine was only 39%. I shut down the engine and called maintenance operational controller. Although the inlet turbine temperature was only about 500, maintenance operational controller said we should have maintenance download the engine data to be sure no limits were exceeded. They did this and found no limits exceeded. Maintenance performed a normal engine start and signed off the logbook. We pushed back and attempted #1 engine start again, watching it more closely this time. The engine accelerated somewhat abnormally and hung at about 45%, then began to decelerate. I suspect this is what happened to us the first time. We returned to gate and wrote it up again. I normally watch engine starts closely, however, in the future, I must be sure not to let anything distract me from watching the start to completion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E145 CREW HAD AN ENG HUNG START THAT WOULD HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A HOT START.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK, WE STARTED THE #1 ENG. ENG #2 WAS NOT YET RUNNING. WE HAD NORMAL ACCELERATION AND IGNITION DURING THE START. AT SOME POINT DURING THE START, I WAS DISTR BY SOMETHING. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS. I THOUGHT WE HAD HAD A NORMAL START AND DID THE AFTER START FLOW. WE GOT A CAUTION MESSAGE THAT THE SCHEDULED BUSSES WERE OFF-LINE. AS I WAS CONSIDERING THE CAUSE FOR THIS, I NOTICED THAT THE N2 ON THE #1 ENG WAS ONLY 39%. I SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND CALLED MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR. ALTHOUGH THE INLET TURBINE TEMP WAS ONLY ABOUT 500, MAINT OPERATIONAL CTLR SAID WE SHOULD HAVE MAINT DOWNLOAD THE ENG DATA TO BE SURE NO LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED. THEY DID THIS AND FOUND NO LIMITS EXCEEDED. MAINT PERFORMED A NORMAL ENG START AND SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK. WE PUSHED BACK AND ATTEMPTED #1 ENG START AGAIN, WATCHING IT MORE CLOSELY THIS TIME. THE ENG ACCELERATED SOMEWHAT ABNORMALLY AND HUNG AT ABOUT 45%, THEN BEGAN TO DECELERATE. I SUSPECT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO US THE FIRST TIME. WE RETURNED TO GATE AND WROTE IT UP AGAIN. I NORMALLY WATCH ENG STARTS CLOSELY, HOWEVER, IN THE FUTURE, I MUST BE SURE NOT TO LET ANYTHING DISTRACT ME FROM WATCHING THE START TO COMPLETION.

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.