MD80 experienced flames from engine during taxi-out at stl.

Attributes
ACN	594090
Time
Date	200309
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-83
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : stl.tower
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : holding
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	594090
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	594091
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During single engine taxi, I asked first officer to start second engine. He did everything normally except forgot to turn on ignition. Upon realizing this, he properly pulled start lever to off and continued to motor engine to clear fuel. No limits were exceeded. After motoring, a second start was accomplished. After completion, another aircraft reported flames in the tailpipe to ground control. We then shut down that engine. That same aircraft then reported white smoke, but no fire. Ground control then called fire trucks and maintenance without permission or prompting by us. Ground told us to hold our position. Fire trucks and maintenance came out to plane and sprayed water into tailpipe. We repositioned to the pad and had maintenance check out engine. After running engine and writing up incident in logbook, mechanics said engine was fine. Maintenance engineering, though, asked us to return to gate, which we did.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 EXPERIENCED FLAMES FROM ENG DURING TAXI-OUT AT STL.

Narrative: DURING SINGLE ENG TAXI, I ASKED FO TO START SECOND ENG. HE DID EVERYTHING NORMALLY EXCEPT FORGOT TO TURN ON IGNITION. UPON REALIZING THIS, HE PROPERLY PULLED START LEVER TO OFF AND CONTINUED TO MOTOR ENG TO CLR FUEL. NO LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED. AFTER MOTORING, A SECOND START WAS ACCOMPLISHED. AFTER COMPLETION, ANOTHER ACFT RPTED FLAMES IN THE TAILPIPE TO GND CTL. WE THEN SHUT DOWN THAT ENG. THAT SAME ACFT THEN RPTED WHITE SMOKE, BUT NO FIRE. GND CTL THEN CALLED FIRE TRUCKS AND MAINT WITHOUT PERMISSION OR PROMPTING BY US. GND TOLD US TO HOLD OUR POS. FIRE TRUCKS AND MAINT CAME OUT TO PLANE AND SPRAYED WATER INTO TAILPIPE. WE REPOSITIONED TO THE PAD AND HAD MAINT CHK OUT ENG. AFTER RUNNING ENG AND WRITING UP INCIDENT IN LOGBOOK, MECHS SAID ENG WAS FINE. MAINT ENGINEERING, THOUGH, ASKED US TO RETURN TO GATE, WHICH WE DID.

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.