Narrative:

Arriving at the aircraft for departure on flight to ZZZ1. I met the inbound crew that told me that they had a problem starting the right engine leaving ZZZ2. They had to manually start the engine and then had no problem. I looked through the logbook and found that there were a significant number of write-ups on starting the left and right engines. After everyone was on board we manually started the right engine. I don't remember if I used the 'a' or 'B' ignition. The start was normal with all indications. We then pushed off the gate and started the left engine. I first selected the 'B' ignition and pressed the left start switch. With the engine at maximum motoring, we put the fuel lever up. There was no light off. We then shut the fuel lever off and let the engine motor for about 30 seconds. I then selected 'a' ignition and pressed the start switch and the ground crew and the aircraft behind us told us that we had a tailpipe fire. I then released the start switch and the fire slowed down but did not totally go out. With the aircraft behind us we tried to motor the engine again to stop the rest of the small flames that were left and that didn't help, but there was mainly just smoke at that point. We had maintenance come out to see what they could see and with their help we motored the engine. Maintenance suggested that we try to start the engine. The engine started normally. With all that had happened we elected to return to the gate to have things checked out. Maintenance also said that there was a lot of fuel coming from the bottom of the engine. Once at the gate my first officer noticed that the left engine ignition circuit breaker had popped. I don't know if that happened at the gate or earlier. At no time did the egt exceed any limit and the N1's and N2's were normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ON L ENG START WITH 'B' IGNITION SELECTED. WHEN FUEL APPLIED, THE ENG FAILED TO START. ENG MOTORED PER PROCS. ON START WITH 'A' IGNITION, EXPERIENCED TAILPIPE FIRE.

Narrative: ARRIVING AT THE ACFT FOR DEP ON FLT TO ZZZ1. I MET THE INBOUND CREW THAT TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD A PROB STARTING THE R ENG LEAVING ZZZ2. THEY HAD TO MANUALLY START THE ENG AND THEN HAD NO PROB. I LOOKED THROUGH THE LOGBOOK AND FOUND THAT THERE WERE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF WRITE-UPS ON STARTING THE L AND R ENGS. AFTER EVERYONE WAS ON BOARD WE MANUALLY STARTED THE R ENG. I DON'T REMEMBER IF I USED THE 'A' OR 'B' IGNITION. THE START WAS NORMAL WITH ALL INDICATIONS. WE THEN PUSHED OFF THE GATE AND STARTED THE L ENG. I FIRST SELECTED THE 'B' IGNITION AND PRESSED THE L START SWITCH. WITH THE ENG AT MAX MOTORING, WE PUT THE FUEL LEVER UP. THERE WAS NO LIGHT OFF. WE THEN SHUT THE FUEL LEVER OFF AND LET THE ENG MOTOR FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. I THEN SELECTED 'A' IGNITION AND PRESSED THE START SWITCH AND THE GND CREW AND THE ACFT BEHIND US TOLD US THAT WE HAD A TAILPIPE FIRE. I THEN RELEASED THE START SWITCH AND THE FIRE SLOWED DOWN BUT DID NOT TOTALLY GO OUT. WITH THE ACFT BEHIND US WE TRIED TO MOTOR THE ENG AGAIN TO STOP THE REST OF THE SMALL FLAMES THAT WERE LEFT AND THAT DIDN'T HELP, BUT THERE WAS MAINLY JUST SMOKE AT THAT POINT. WE HAD MAINT COME OUT TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD SEE AND WITH THEIR HELP WE MOTORED THE ENG. MAINT SUGGESTED THAT WE TRY TO START THE ENG. THE ENG STARTED NORMALLY. WITH ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE GATE TO HAVE THINGS CHKED OUT. MAINT ALSO SAID THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF FUEL COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE ENG. ONCE AT THE GATE MY FO NOTICED THAT THE L ENG IGNITION CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAPPENED AT THE GATE OR EARLIER. AT NO TIME DID THE EGT EXCEED ANY LIMIT AND THE N1'S AND N2'S WERE NORMAL.

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.