A MD80 'left engine valve' light came on after takeoff. The first officer read the QRH for the 'left...

Attributes
ACN	792812
Time
Date	200806
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	792812
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 10900
ASRS Report	792615
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was flying the aircraft. Shortly after takeoff we observed an 'left engine valve' light on the annunciator panel. There was some confusion as to if this was a start valve problem so I attempted to test the annunciator lights so as to see what other 'valve' light indications were available; but since this was an aircraft in which I was unable to make such a test. I made a statement that the light did not actually say 'start valve' but after some discussion and input from the first officer we decided to take the most conservative action and treat it as a start valve failure. I then asked the first officer to pull out the checklist as I hand flew the aircraft; communicated with ATC and declared an emergency. After cleanup; I attempted to turn the autoplt on; but it would not engage. As I flew the first officer ran the checklist and stated that we needed to shut the engine down; which we did. We returned to an overweight landing; which was uneventful. After returning to the gate and preparing to make a log entry; I asked the first officer to show me which checklist he ran. He showed me the 'left start valve' light checklist. I stated that we did not have that light; but rather the left engine valve light. I went to my QRH and found the 'left engine valve' light checklist. At that point we realized that we had run the wrong checklist. I called the captain in the flight office and asked him to come to the aircraft. When he arrived I explained to him what had happened. I entered the correct discrepancy into the log and notified maintenance that we didn't have a start valve failure. I also later in the day called maintenance control and notified them as to the autoplt not engaging; which I had not put in the book. Later that day the first officer and I were reviewing the 'left start valve open' checklist and nowhere in there did it tell us to shut down the engine. The first officer stated that he had thought he read on a message that we were supposed to accomplish the first three items on the engine in-flight shutdown checklist if we had a start valve problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MD80 'L ENG VALVE' LIGHT CAME ON AFTER TKOF. THE FO READ THE QRH FOR THE 'L START VALVE.' THE ENG WAS SHUTDOWN; AN EMER DECLARED AND FLT RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING THE ACFT. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF WE OBSERVED AN 'L ENG VALVE' LIGHT ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AS TO IF THIS WAS A START VALVE PROBLEM SO I ATTEMPTED TO TEST THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS SO AS TO SEE WHAT OTHER 'VALVE' LIGHT INDICATIONS WERE AVAILABLE; BUT SINCE THIS WAS AN ACFT IN WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE SUCH A TEST. I MADE A STATEMENT THAT THE LIGHT DID NOT ACTUALLY SAY 'START VALVE' BUT AFTER SOME DISCUSSION AND INPUT FROM THE FO WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE MOST CONSERVATIVE ACTION AND TREAT IT AS A START VALVE FAILURE. I THEN ASKED THE FO TO PULL OUT THE CHKLIST AS I HAND FLEW THE ACFT; COMMUNICATED WITH ATC AND DECLARED AN EMER. AFTER CLEANUP; I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE AUTOPLT ON; BUT IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. AS I FLEW THE FO RAN THE CHKLIST AND STATED THAT WE NEEDED TO SHUT THE ENG DOWN; WHICH WE DID. WE RETURNED TO AN OVERWT LNDG; WHICH WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER RETURNING TO THE GATE AND PREPARING TO MAKE A LOG ENTRY; I ASKED THE FO TO SHOW ME WHICH CHKLIST HE RAN. HE SHOWED ME THE 'L START VALVE' LIGHT CHKLIST. I STATED THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THAT LIGHT; BUT RATHER THE L ENG VALVE LIGHT. I WENT TO MY QRH AND FOUND THE 'L ENG VALVE' LIGHT CHKLIST. AT THAT POINT WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD RUN THE WRONG CHKLIST. I CALLED THE CAPT IN THE FLT OFFICE AND ASKED HIM TO COME TO THE ACFT. WHEN HE ARRIVED I EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I ENTERED THE CORRECT DISCREPANCY INTO THE LOG AND NOTIFIED MAINT THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A START VALVE FAILURE. I ALSO LATER IN THE DAY CALLED MAINT CTL AND NOTIFIED THEM AS TO THE AUTOPLT NOT ENGAGING; WHICH I HAD NOT PUT IN THE BOOK. LATER THAT DAY THE FO AND I WERE REVIEWING THE 'L START VALVE OPEN' CHKLIST AND NOWHERE IN THERE DID IT TELL US TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG. THE FO STATED THAT HE HAD THOUGHT HE READ ON A MESSAGE THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO ACCOMPLISH THE FIRST THREE ITEMS ON THE ENG INFLT SHUTDOWN CHKLIST IF WE HAD A START VALVE PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

A MD80 'left engine valve' light came on after takeoff. The first officer read the QRH for the 'left start valve.' the engine was shutdown; an emergency declared and flight return to land.