Captain of B737-400 discovers right engine spinning at high revolutions while fueling and ground ser...

Attributes
ACN	794947
Time
Date	200807
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	794947
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I arrived at the gate for departure to NAS. Told the plane was broken and being taken to the hangar. After a while the mechanics brought another plane from the hangar. I went down to the aircraft. First officer says someone outside aircraft is banging on side stating right (#2) engine is still running. I look down to see parking brake set and start levers in cutoff position. I go down onto ramp to see what is going on. I see fueler hooked up and baggage handlers in rear compartment; all while the engine appears to be running at about half speed. I tell the fueler to disconnect and all ramp personnel to get away from aircraft till I figure out what is going on. I leave ramp and while walking back to cockpit realize what I am looking at is probably a starter left engaged. My suspicions are confirmed when I return to cockpit to see start switch in ground. I reach up take start switch from ground to off and engine winds to a stop. Aircraft was apparently started at hangar engine was run all the way to gate and then shut down; all while starter was engaged. I wrote up the event in the maintenance log. Mechanics then replaced the starter for engagement time exceedance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF B737-400 DISCOVERS RIGHT ENGINE SPINNING AT HIGH REVOLUTIONS WHILE FUELING AND GND SERVICING CONTINUE UNABATED. DISCOVERS ENGINE START SWITCH HAD STUCK IN THE GND POSITION DURING THE PREVIOUS START.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT THE GATE FOR DEP TO NAS. TOLD THE PLANE WAS BROKEN AND BEING TAKEN TO THE HANGAR. AFTER A WHILE THE MECHS BROUGHT ANOTHER PLANE FROM THE HANGAR. I WENT DOWN TO THE ACFT. FO SAYS SOMEONE OUTSIDE ACFT IS BANGING ON SIDE STATING R (#2) ENG IS STILL RUNNING. I LOOK DOWN TO SEE PARKING BRAKE SET AND START LEVERS IN CUTOFF POS. I GO DOWN ONTO RAMP TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON. I SEE FUELER HOOKED UP AND BAGGAGE HANDLERS IN REAR COMPARTMENT; ALL WHILE THE ENG APPEARS TO BE RUNNING AT ABOUT HALF SPD. I TELL THE FUELER TO DISCONNECT AND ALL RAMP PERSONNEL TO GET AWAY FROM ACFT TILL I FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING ON. I LEAVE RAMP AND WHILE WALKING BACK TO COCKPIT REALIZE WHAT I AM LOOKING AT IS PROBABLY A STARTER LEFT ENGAGED. MY SUSPICIONS ARE CONFIRMED WHEN I RETURN TO COCKPIT TO SEE START SWITCH IN GND. I REACH UP TAKE START SWITCH FROM GND TO OFF AND ENG WINDS TO A STOP. ACFT WAS APPARENTLY STARTED AT HANGAR ENG WAS RUN ALL THE WAY TO GATE AND THEN SHUT DOWN; ALL WHILE STARTER WAS ENGAGED. I WROTE UP THE EVENT IN THE MAINT LOG. MECHS THEN REPLACED THE STARTER FOR ENGAGEMENT TIME EXCEEDANCE.

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.

Captain of B737-400 discovers right engine spinning at high revolutions while fueling and ground servicing continue unabated. Discovers engine start switch had stuck in the ground position during the previous start.