Narrative:

During pushback and starting the #2 engine; the start egt was exceeded. I was listening to the pushback driver; the copilot; ground control; and another company airplane that was waiting out for our gate. While trying to concentrate on all these tasks; I sensed something was wrong with the engine start. At first I took assessment of all of the engine gauges; but all seemed normal except that the acceleration was slow. So I suspected that the first officer may have left the pack on while starting the engine. I looked up to verify proper position of the pack and bleed switches and then looked back at the engine gauges. When I looked back down at the engine gauges; everything looked ok except the egt. The egt was over 800 degrees C. I cut the fuel and checked to see if the start switch had cut out. It had not. We motored the engine for the requisite 60 seconds and the first officer ran the aborted engine start checklist. I returned to the gate; called maintenance and wrote up the exceedance. I estimate that the peak egt was over 820 degrees. I was focused on the engine start and distraction at the same time. I can't believe that there was no more hints of an impending hot start. No abnormal N1; N2; or fuel flow. And I can't believe I didn't notice the egt until it was too late. In the future; I will redouble my efforts to keep one eye on the egt until rollback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARILY DISTR DURING ENG START ON PUSHBACK; B737 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES HOT START AND EXCESSIVE EGT.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK AND STARTING THE #2 ENG; THE START EGT WAS EXCEEDED. I WAS LISTENING TO THE PUSHBACK DRIVER; THE COPLT; GND CTL; AND ANOTHER COMPANY AIRPLANE THAT WAS WAITING OUT FOR OUR GATE. WHILE TRYING TO CONCENTRATE ON ALL THESE TASKS; I SENSED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ENG START. AT FIRST I TOOK ASSESSMENT OF ALL OF THE ENG GAUGES; BUT ALL SEEMED NORMAL EXCEPT THAT THE ACCELERATION WAS SLOW. SO I SUSPECTED THAT THE FO MAY HAVE LEFT THE PACK ON WHILE STARTING THE ENG. I LOOKED UP TO VERIFY PROPER POS OF THE PACK AND BLEED SWITCHES AND THEN LOOKED BACK AT THE ENG GAUGES. WHEN I LOOKED BACK DOWN AT THE ENG GAUGES; EVERYTHING LOOKED OK EXCEPT THE EGT. THE EGT WAS OVER 800 DEGS C. I CUT THE FUEL AND CHKED TO SEE IF THE START SWITCH HAD CUT OUT. IT HAD NOT. WE MOTORED THE ENG FOR THE REQUISITE 60 SECONDS AND THE FO RAN THE ABORTED ENG START CHKLIST. I RETURNED TO THE GATE; CALLED MAINT AND WROTE UP THE EXCEEDANCE. I ESTIMATE THAT THE PEAK EGT WAS OVER 820 DEGS. I WAS FOCUSED ON THE ENG START AND DISTR AT THE SAME TIME. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS NO MORE HINTS OF AN IMPENDING HOT START. NO ABNORMAL N1; N2; OR FUEL FLOW. AND I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T NOTICE THE EGT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL REDOUBLE MY EFFORTS TO KEEP ONE EYE ON THE EGT UNTIL ROLLBACK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.