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During taxi, an ATCT ground controller relayed information to an air carrier flight crew regarding flames exiting the right engine. The flight crew failed to return to the gate to investigate.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 317647 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199510 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lga |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground : preflight ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 6800 flight time type : 2200 |
| ASRS Report | 317647 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Like many cockpit mistakes, my captain and I were rushing our before start checklist, thus, we did not turn on the engine ignition. Therefore, after pushback we did not get light-off while starting the right engine. After the captain realized he forgot the ignition, he started the left engine and we were on our way to takeoff on runway 6 out of lga to mke. After starting the left engine with no abnormal engine instruments, tower advised us that the air carrier DC9 taxiing behind us noticed a fire coming out of the right engine. Well, the captain and I realized this would be normal since we had some residual fuel which burned off during the start sequence. That's it. The rest of the flight was uneventful. It wasn't until we were level and cruising back to mke that we discussed the idea that the safest and most prudent thing to do would have been to go back to the gate after the small fire was observed, to check out the integrity of the engine. We did not however, and I regret not being assertive enough to bring up the suggestion of doing just that. We both knew why the fire occurred but one can never be too safe. I say fire, but it was actually small flames coming out the right engine. Lesson to be learned, always practice good CRM principles and communicate no matter how obvious the situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING TAXI, AN ATCT GND CTLR RELAYED INFO TO AN ACR FLC REGARDING FLAMES EXITING THE R ENG. THE FLC FAILED TO RETURN TO THE GATE TO INVESTIGATE.
Narrative: LIKE MANY COCKPIT MISTAKES, MY CAPT AND I WERE RUSHING OUR BEFORE START CHKLIST, THUS, WE DID NOT TURN ON THE ENG IGNITION. THEREFORE, AFTER PUSHBACK WE DID NOT GET LIGHT-OFF WHILE STARTING THE R ENG. AFTER THE CAPT REALIZED HE FORGOT THE IGNITION, HE STARTED THE L ENG AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO TKOF ON RWY 6 OUT OF LGA TO MKE. AFTER STARTING THE L ENG WITH NO ABNORMAL ENG INSTS, TWR ADVISED US THAT THE ACR DC9 TAXIING BEHIND US NOTICED A FIRE COMING OUT OF THE R ENG. WELL, THE CAPT AND I REALIZED THIS WOULD BE NORMAL SINCE WE HAD SOME RESIDUAL FUEL WHICH BURNED OFF DURING THE START SEQUENCE. THAT'S IT. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE WERE LEVEL AND CRUISING BACK TO MKE THAT WE DISCUSSED THE IDEA THAT THE SAFEST AND MOST PRUDENT THING TO DO WOULD HAVE BEEN TO GO BACK TO THE GATE AFTER THE SMALL FIRE WAS OBSERVED, TO CHK OUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE ENG. WE DID NOT HOWEVER, AND I REGRET NOT BEING ASSERTIVE ENOUGH TO BRING UP THE SUGGESTION OF DOING JUST THAT. WE BOTH KNEW WHY THE FIRE OCCURRED BUT ONE CAN NEVER BE TOO SAFE. I SAY FIRE, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY SMALL FLAMES COMING OUT THE R ENG. LESSON TO BE LEARNED, ALWAYS PRACTICE GOOD CRM PRINCIPLES AND COMMUNICATE NO MATTER HOW OBVIOUS THE SIT.
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.