Narrative:

On pushback; we started #1 because bags being loaded. Starting #2 the first officer said I disconnected the start switch. Looked at instruments -- appeared to be a hung start; but no N1; egt high but not rising. Shut down #2 and called for aborted engine checklist. Motored #2 to cool. Asked the first officer to check #2 N1 circuit breaker; pulled and reset. Restarted #2; normal start; normal indications and took off. On climb out; 'vibrations' pegged out on #2; no vibration. Called for checklist and before we barely got into checklist #2 compressor stalled. Vibrations went down. I said 'let's declare emergency. Let's return to ZZZ.' ran approach checklist; talked to flight attendants and passenger very briefly; landed; and taxied to the gate. I left #2 running because it had normal indications. The problem is while running QRH checklist; all boxed items with numbers are for reference boxed items with letters have to be performed. I had this same kind of problem with high winds and noted the must call maintenance and dispatch after 725 or higher start; which sends you back to gate and downs the aircraft. I just missed it (we missed it). For some reason I was thinking of a red overtemp because of unusual indications. Short overnight; long day; last leg. I know 725 is a limitation; but I wish the note was on the front page of the checklist. Supplemental information from acn 794716: engine start was nonstandard. The #1 engine was started first due to a late bag being loaded. The #2 engine had an abnormal start. It appeared that the starter had simply failed to cut out. I stated '#2 starter failed to cut out' and placed the start switch to the 'off' position. As I verbalized this; the captain noticed a high egt and placed the start lever to cut-off. Aborted engine start QRH checklist was accomplished. During initial start of the #2 engine; distrs momentarily diverted my attention from the engine monitoring xchk. This caused me to miss the abnormal start as it was developing. Captain re-engaged the #2 starter and motored the engine. During the motoring of the #2 engine; the captain verbalized that there was no N1 indication and had me pull and reset the circuit breaker. N1 indications returned to normal. The #2 engine was subsequently restarted with normal indications. On taxi out; captain noticed that the #2 pmc was either 'off' or 'inoperative' and reset it. I cannot recall the position/indication of the button prior to the reset. Takeoff was normal; but on departure avm was greater than 4.0 units on the #2 engine. High engine vibration QRH checklist was accomplished. While retarding the thrust lever; as per the QRH; or immediately following that; the #2 engine compressor stalled. At this point; at a reduced power setting; the engine had normal indications and the avm reading was below 4.0 units. The captain opted to leave the engine running at a reduced power setting. An emergency was declared; applicable checklists were accomplished; and the flight returned to ZZZ for landing. Procedural error: did not fully comply with the 'additional information considerations' page of the aborted engine start in the QRH. Procedures for an egt exceeding start limit were not accomplished. Procedural error: captain deviated from SOP and selected flaps 5 degrees in the middle of the start sequence on the initial start of the #2 engine. This negatively impacted both the engine start xchk and engine start flows. Sharing/encouraging/acknowledging input from other crew members: this is an area that could have been more effective. A self-induced rush negatively impacted crew communication. Threat (distraction): another carrier taxied in front of our aircraft and was momentarily monitored.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW REPORTS HUNG START WITH HIGH EGT AND ENGINE IS SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED. DURING DEPARTURE ENGINE VIBRATION IS HIGH AND COMPRESSOR STALLS WHEN THROTTLE IS RETARDED. EMER IS DECLARED AND FLT CREW RETURNS.

Narrative: ON PUSHBACK; WE STARTED #1 BECAUSE BAGS BEING LOADED. STARTING #2 THE FO SAID I DISCONNECTED THE START SWITCH. LOOKED AT INSTS -- APPEARED TO BE A HUNG START; BUT NO N1; EGT HIGH BUT NOT RISING. SHUT DOWN #2 AND CALLED FOR ABORTED ENG CHKLIST. MOTORED #2 TO COOL. ASKED THE FO TO CHK #2 N1 CIRCUIT BREAKER; PULLED AND RESET. RESTARTED #2; NORMAL START; NORMAL INDICATIONS AND TOOK OFF. ON CLBOUT; 'VIBRATIONS' PEGGED OUT ON #2; NO VIBRATION. CALLED FOR CHKLIST AND BEFORE WE BARELY GOT INTO CHKLIST #2 COMPRESSOR STALLED. VIBRATIONS WENT DOWN. I SAID 'LET'S DECLARE EMER. LET'S RETURN TO ZZZ.' RAN APCH CHKLIST; TALKED TO FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX VERY BRIEFLY; LANDED; AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. I LEFT #2 RUNNING BECAUSE IT HAD NORMAL INDICATIONS. THE PROB IS WHILE RUNNING QRH CHKLIST; ALL BOXED ITEMS WITH NUMBERS ARE FOR REF BOXED ITEMS WITH LETTERS HAVE TO BE PERFORMED. I HAD THIS SAME KIND OF PROB WITH HIGH WINDS AND NOTED THE MUST CALL MAINT AND DISPATCH AFTER 725 OR HIGHER START; WHICH SENDS YOU BACK TO GATE AND DOWNS THE ACFT. I JUST MISSED IT (WE MISSED IT). FOR SOME REASON I WAS THINKING OF A RED OVERTEMP BECAUSE OF UNUSUAL INDICATIONS. SHORT OVERNIGHT; LONG DAY; LAST LEG. I KNOW 725 IS A LIMITATION; BUT I WISH THE NOTE WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE CHKLIST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 794716: ENG START WAS NONSTANDARD. THE #1 ENG WAS STARTED FIRST DUE TO A LATE BAG BEING LOADED. THE #2 ENG HAD AN ABNORMAL START. IT APPEARED THAT THE STARTER HAD SIMPLY FAILED TO CUT OUT. I STATED '#2 STARTER FAILED TO CUT OUT' AND PLACED THE START SWITCH TO THE 'OFF' POS. AS I VERBALIZED THIS; THE CAPT NOTICED A HIGH EGT AND PLACED THE START LEVER TO CUT-OFF. ABORTED ENG START QRH CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED. DURING INITIAL START OF THE #2 ENG; DISTRS MOMENTARILY DIVERTED MY ATTN FROM THE ENG MONITORING XCHK. THIS CAUSED ME TO MISS THE ABNORMAL START AS IT WAS DEVELOPING. CAPT RE-ENGAGED THE #2 STARTER AND MOTORED THE ENG. DURING THE MOTORING OF THE #2 ENG; THE CAPT VERBALIZED THAT THERE WAS NO N1 INDICATION AND HAD ME PULL AND RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. N1 INDICATIONS RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE #2 ENG WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RESTARTED WITH NORMAL INDICATIONS. ON TAXI OUT; CAPT NOTICED THAT THE #2 PMC WAS EITHER 'OFF' OR 'INOP' AND RESET IT. I CANNOT RECALL THE POS/INDICATION OF THE BUTTON PRIOR TO THE RESET. TKOF WAS NORMAL; BUT ON DEP AVM WAS GREATER THAN 4.0 UNITS ON THE #2 ENG. HIGH ENG VIBRATION QRH CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED. WHILE RETARDING THE THRUST LEVER; AS PER THE QRH; OR IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THAT; THE #2 ENG COMPRESSOR STALLED. AT THIS POINT; AT A REDUCED PWR SETTING; THE ENG HAD NORMAL INDICATIONS AND THE AVM READING WAS BELOW 4.0 UNITS. THE CAPT OPTED TO LEAVE THE ENG RUNNING AT A REDUCED PWR SETTING. AN EMER WAS DECLARED; APPLICABLE CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED; AND THE FLT RETURNED TO ZZZ FOR LNDG. PROCEDURAL ERROR: DID NOT FULLY COMPLY WITH THE 'ADDITIONAL INFO CONSIDERATIONS' PAGE OF THE ABORTED ENG START IN THE QRH. PROCS FOR AN EGT EXCEEDING START LIMIT WERE NOT ACCOMPLISHED. PROCEDURAL ERROR: CAPT DEVIATED FROM SOP AND SELECTED FLAPS 5 DEGS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE START SEQUENCE ON THE INITIAL START OF THE #2 ENG. THIS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BOTH THE ENG START XCHK AND ENG START FLOWS. SHARING/ENCOURAGING/ACKNOWLEDGING INPUT FROM OTHER CREW MEMBERS: THIS IS AN AREA THAT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE. A SELF-INDUCED RUSH NEGATIVELY IMPACTED CREW COM. THREAT (DISTR): ANOTHER CARRIER TAXIED IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT AND WAS MOMENTARILY MONITORED.

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.