Return land mandated by aircraft equipment problem malfunction.

Attributes
ACN	249432
Time
Date	199308
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial cruise other landing other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	249432
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After takeoff at 1500 ft AGL, 'right starter valve open' light illuminated. Initiated engine fire/severe damage checklist. Just prior to actually shutting down engine, right 'starter valve open' light went out. Suspended shutdown checklist. Returned dfw, landed runway 17L. Landing weight 137500 pounds. Maximum landing weight 130000 pounds. Did not shut right engine down. 'Starter valve open' light did not come on again. Did not declare emergency. In accordance with air carrier policy when landing over weight, landing was 'grease job' with little or no sink rate at touchdown. Since the 'starter valve open' light went out and all engine indications were normal, it was not necessary to shut the engine down or declare an emergency for the engine. The starter valve light indications were unreliable and the aircraft needed to be landed. It was necessary, however, to have declared an emergency because the aircraft was landed above landing weight. I realized this after arriving at the gate for a starter valve change and an over weight landing inspection. Just because one emergency situation is solved, it doesn't mean all are solved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND MANDATED BY ACFT EQUIP PROB MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF AT 1500 FT AGL, 'R STARTER VALVE OPEN' LIGHT ILLUMINATED. INITIATED ENG FIRE/SEVERE DAMAGE CHKLIST. JUST PRIOR TO ACTUALLY SHUTTING DOWN ENG, R 'STARTER VALVE OPEN' LIGHT WENT OUT. SUSPENDED SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. RETURNED DFW, LANDED RWY 17L. LNDG WT 137500 LBS. MAX LNDG WT 130000 LBS. DID NOT SHUT R ENG DOWN. 'STARTER VALVE OPEN' LIGHT DID NOT COME ON AGAIN. DID NOT DECLARE EMER. IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACR POLICY WHEN LNDG OVER WT, LNDG WAS 'GREASE JOB' WITH LITTLE OR NO SINK RATE AT TOUCHDOWN. SINCE THE 'STARTER VALVE OPEN' LIGHT WENT OUT AND ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL, IT WAS NOT NECESSARY TO SHUT THE ENG DOWN OR DECLARE AN EMER FOR THE ENG. THE STARTER VALVE LIGHT INDICATIONS WERE UNRELIABLE AND THE ACFT NEEDED TO BE LANDED. IT WAS NECESSARY, HOWEVER, TO HAVE DECLARED AN EMER BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS LANDED ABOVE LNDG WT. I REALIZED THIS AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE FOR A STARTER VALVE CHANGE AND AN OVER WT LNDG INSPECTION. JUST BECAUSE ONE EMER SIT IS SOLVED, IT DOESN'T MEAN ALL ARE SOLVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.