Narrative:

My first officer and I had previously operated the subject aircraft inbound to lga. Our next leg was to be lga to ZZZ. We had a yellow deferral sticker for the #2 engine; requiring inspection of the chip detector. I believe the engine was consuming an abnormal amount of oil. We pushed off the gate and began our taxi for runway 13 via txwys z-b/hold short runway 22. It was dark when we began taxiing; and there was a line of aircraft both in front of; and behind us. When we were number one holding short of runway 22; an aircraft behind us stated over the ground frequency that he could observe what he described as a small flame emitting from our #2 engine. This flame would be visible at idle but would extinguish as we powered up to taxi. I believe the location he was describing was the 'bullet' inside of the N2 jet pipe. The first officer and I checked our engine instruments for any abnormalities; however none were present. We discussed what we wanted to do and decided to pull out of line and call maintenance. Maintenance was puzzled as well and speculated that we might have a dirty or cracked injector; and requested that we return to the gate. Maintenance further stated that a mechanic would meet us at the gate and not to shut down the engine before we got a 'thumbs up or down from the mechanic.' as we returned to the gate; the first officer and I discussed what we would do if we got a fire bell. I stated we would run the memory items and possibly evacuate the aircraft through the main cabin door. We made a PA to inform the passenger we were returning to the gate to have a mechanical discrepancy looked at. As we pulled into the gate; we saw a mechanic waiting for us. I asked the first officer to open the main cabin door and join the mechanic to get a look and let me know what he saw. As he left; the mechanic came around to my window and gave me the shutdown signal. I started the APU and shut down the #2 engine. I then let the flight attendant know I was going to look as I still had no idea what was the matter. As the engine spooled down; I could observe white smoke. I went back to tell the flight attendant to request the passenger take their bags and exit the aircraft onto waiting buses. I then dry motored the engine at the mechanic's request. As I started this; he came to the flight deck to tell me he inspected the engine with a lift and found a pool of oil in the jet pipe; that was what was smoking; and no fire was present. I made my maintenance write up and the first officer and I ran all of our checklists from after landing to terminating to ensure we did not forget something. I also gathered the crew in the cabin to debrief them and ask what we could have done better. My observation was that while the first officer and I communicated very well and discussed our options; I did not communicate with the flight attendants to the same extent. While they told me they had no concerns; I believe I should have discussed all scenarios with them; including the unlikely chance of an evacuation on the taxiway so as not to catch them unaware. While we had no indication of any problems on the flight deck; I believe I should have planned for the worst scenario.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARJ MAKES A PRECAUTIONARY RETURN TO THE GATE DUE TO REPORTS OF A SMALL FIRE EMANATING FROM THE #2 ENG.

Narrative: MY FO AND I HAD PREVIOUSLY OPERATED THE SUBJECT ACFT INBOUND TO LGA. OUR NEXT LEG WAS TO BE LGA TO ZZZ. WE HAD A YELLOW DEFERRAL STICKER FOR THE #2 ENG; REQUIRING INSPECTION OF THE CHIP DETECTOR. I BELIEVE THE ENG WAS CONSUMING AN ABNORMAL AMOUNT OF OIL. WE PUSHED OFF THE GATE AND BEGAN OUR TAXI FOR RWY 13 VIA TXWYS Z-B/HOLD SHORT RWY 22. IT WAS DARK WHEN WE BEGAN TAXIING; AND THERE WAS A LINE OF ACFT BOTH IN FRONT OF; AND BEHIND US. WHEN WE WERE NUMBER ONE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 22; AN ACFT BEHIND US STATED OVER THE GND FREQ THAT HE COULD OBSERVE WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A SMALL FLAME EMITTING FROM OUR #2 ENG. THIS FLAME WOULD BE VISIBLE AT IDLE BUT WOULD EXTINGUISH AS WE POWERED UP TO TAXI. I BELIEVE THE LOCATION HE WAS DESCRIBING WAS THE 'BULLET' INSIDE OF THE N2 JET PIPE. THE FO AND I CHECKED OUR ENG INSTRUMENTS FOR ANY ABNORMALITIES; HOWEVER NONE WERE PRESENT. WE DISCUSSED WHAT WE WANTED TO DO AND DECIDED TO PULL OUT OF LINE AND CALL MAINT. MAINT WAS PUZZLED AS WELL AND SPECULATED THAT WE MIGHT HAVE A DIRTY OR CRACKED INJECTOR; AND REQUESTED THAT WE RETURN TO THE GATE. MAINT FURTHER STATED THAT A MECHANIC WOULD MEET US AT THE GATE AND NOT TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG BEFORE WE GOT A 'THUMBS UP OR DOWN FROM THE MECHANIC.' AS WE RETURNED TO THE GATE; THE FO AND I DISCUSSED WHAT WE WOULD DO IF WE GOT A FIRE BELL. I STATED WE WOULD RUN THE MEMORY ITEMS AND POSSIBLY EVACUATE THE ACFT THROUGH THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. WE MADE A PA TO INFORM THE PAX WE WERE RETURNING TO THE GATE TO HAVE A MECHANICAL DISCREPANCY LOOKED AT. AS WE PULLED INTO THE GATE; WE SAW A MECHANIC WAITING FOR US. I ASKED THE FO TO OPEN THE MAIN CABIN DOOR AND JOIN THE MECHANIC TO GET A LOOK AND LET ME KNOW WHAT HE SAW. AS HE LEFT; THE MECHANIC CAME AROUND TO MY WINDOW AND GAVE ME THE SHUTDOWN SIGNAL. I STARTED THE APU AND SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENG. I THEN LET THE FLT ATTENDANT KNOW I WAS GOING TO LOOK AS I STILL HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS THE MATTER. AS THE ENG SPOOLED DOWN; I COULD OBSERVE WHITE SMOKE. I WENT BACK TO TELL THE FLT ATTENDANT TO REQUEST THE PAX TAKE THEIR BAGS AND EXIT THE ACFT ONTO WAITING BUSES. I THEN DRY MOTORED THE ENG AT THE MECHANIC'S REQUEST. AS I STARTED THIS; HE CAME TO THE FLT DECK TO TELL ME HE INSPECTED THE ENG WITH A LIFT AND FOUND A POOL OF OIL IN THE JET PIPE; THAT WAS WHAT WAS SMOKING; AND NO FIRE WAS PRESENT. I MADE MY MAINT WRITE UP AND THE FO AND I RAN ALL OF OUR CHKLISTS FROM AFTER LNDG TO TERMINATING TO ENSURE WE DID NOT FORGET SOMETHING. I ALSO GATHERED THE CREW IN THE CABIN TO DEBRIEF THEM AND ASK WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE BETTER. MY OBSERVATION WAS THAT WHILE THE FO AND I COMMUNICATED VERY WELL AND DISCUSSED OUR OPTIONS; I DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO THE SAME EXTENT. WHILE THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD NO CONCERNS; I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE DISCUSSED ALL SCENARIOS WITH THEM; INCLUDING THE UNLIKELY CHANCE OF AN EVACUATION ON THE TXWY SO AS NOT TO CATCH THEM UNAWARE. WHILE WE HAD NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEMS ON THE FLT DECK; I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE PLANNED FOR THE WORST SCENARIO.

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.