B737-300 ingests FOD after engine start-up.

Attributes
ACN	690515
Time
Date	200603
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
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
ASRS Report	690515
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters : fod
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

An inoperative APU necessitated an external air start at the gate. Shortly after beginning pushback; the tug driver reported he saw a pebble like object fly up into the running engine and for a moment thereafter; he observed sparks coming from the tips of the fan blades. My first inclination was to shut down the engine; but that would have left us on emergency power; so instead; we settled for leaving the tug attached and contacting maintenance control who instructed us to return to the gate. We contacted ramp who would not allow us back into the same gate. Ramp control instructed us to taxi to another gate. We took a moment to brief the flight attendants and passenger; proceeded to our assigned gate and shut down. The maintenance technician had a few things to say to me including questioning my choice to taxi under power to a different gate and insisting that there was no way an idling engine could suck up an object from the ground. In spite of his second assertion; there appeared to be damage to 4 of the fan blades and 4 or 5 holes in the sound baffling in front of the fan.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 INGESTS FOD AFTER ENG START-UP.

Narrative: AN INOP APU NECESSITATED AN EXTERNAL AIR START AT THE GATE. SHORTLY AFTER BEGINNING PUSHBACK; THE TUG DRIVER RPTED HE SAW A PEBBLE LIKE OBJECT FLY UP INTO THE RUNNING ENG AND FOR A MOMENT THEREAFTER; HE OBSERVED SPARKS COMING FROM THE TIPS OF THE FAN BLADES. MY FIRST INCLINATION WAS TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG; BUT THAT WOULD HAVE LEFT US ON EMER PWR; SO INSTEAD; WE SETTLED FOR LEAVING THE TUG ATTACHED AND CONTACTING MAINT CTL WHO INSTRUCTED US TO RETURN TO THE GATE. WE CONTACTED RAMP WHO WOULD NOT ALLOW US BACK INTO THE SAME GATE. RAMP CTL INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO ANOTHER GATE. WE TOOK A MOMENT TO BRIEF THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX; PROCEEDED TO OUR ASSIGNED GATE AND SHUT DOWN. THE MAINT TECHNICIAN HAD A FEW THINGS TO SAY TO ME INCLUDING QUESTIONING MY CHOICE TO TAXI UNDER PWR TO A DIFFERENT GATE AND INSISTING THAT THERE WAS NO WAY AN IDLING ENG COULD SUCK UP AN OBJECT FROM THE GND. IN SPITE OF HIS SECOND ASSERTION; THERE APPEARED TO BE DAMAGE TO 4 OF THE FAN BLADES AND 4 OR 5 HOLES IN THE SOUND BAFFLING IN FRONT OF THE FAN.

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.