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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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During climb out in ZTL, GA, airspace, an MD88 experiences a 'start valve open' message. Flight crew does not shut down the engine and discovers upon landing that a crack in the air duct is causing delamination of engine cowling.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 375997 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : atl |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 20000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : ztl |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-88 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 185 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 375997 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On climb out, master caution light illuminated, along with message 'left start valve open.' followed procedure in aircraft manual. With thrust reduced, light alternated between intermittent and steady illumination over the next few mins while we observed engine instruments for any other abnormal indications. We discussed problem with company maintenance and dispatch. Based on stable engine indications, we restored thrust (which had been reduced to idle) at the request of company maintenance, while continuing to observe engine parameters. Light finally remained extinguished and engine indications remained normal. Dispatcher, flight crew and maintenance were in agreement that the flight could continue to destination safely. Maintenance at arrival station found no problem with starter, but did find pneumatic ducting cracked through on top of engine (opposite from starter assembly which is below engine). Apparently, the air leak from this duct also caused some delamination of the inside surface of engine cowl. In hindsight, perhaps returning to departure airport would have been a more prudent course of action (my initial instinct). Given the information available at the time though it did seem safe to proceed, as the situation no longer existed, or may have been just an indication problem as it seemed at the time.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING CLBOUT IN ZTL, GA, AIRSPACE, AN MD88 EXPERIENCES A 'START VALVE OPEN' MESSAGE. FLC DOES NOT SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND DISCOVERS UPON LNDG THAT A CRACK IN THE AIR DUCT IS CAUSING DELAMINATION OF ENG COWLING.
Narrative: ON CLBOUT, MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED, ALONG WITH MESSAGE 'L START VALVE OPEN.' FOLLOWED PROC IN ACFT MANUAL. WITH THRUST REDUCED, LIGHT ALTERNATED BTWN INTERMITTENT AND STEADY ILLUMINATION OVER THE NEXT FEW MINS WHILE WE OBSERVED ENG INSTS FOR ANY OTHER ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. WE DISCUSSED PROB WITH COMPANY MAINT AND DISPATCH. BASED ON STABLE ENG INDICATIONS, WE RESTORED THRUST (WHICH HAD BEEN REDUCED TO IDLE) AT THE REQUEST OF COMPANY MAINT, WHILE CONTINUING TO OBSERVE ENG PARAMETERS. LIGHT FINALLY REMAINED EXTINGUISHED AND ENG INDICATIONS REMAINED NORMAL. DISPATCHER, FLC AND MAINT WERE IN AGREEMENT THAT THE FLT COULD CONTINUE TO DEST SAFELY. MAINT AT ARR STATION FOUND NO PROB WITH STARTER, BUT DID FIND PNEUMATIC DUCTING CRACKED THROUGH ON TOP OF ENG (OPPOSITE FROM STARTER ASSEMBLY WHICH IS BELOW ENG). APPARENTLY, THE AIR LEAK FROM THIS DUCT ALSO CAUSED SOME DELAMINATION OF THE INSIDE SURFACE OF ENG COWL. IN HINDSIGHT, PERHAPS RETURNING TO DEP ARPT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION (MY INITIAL INSTINCT). GIVEN THE INFO AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THOUGH IT DID SEEM SAFE TO PROCEED, AS THE SIT NO LONGER EXISTED, OR MAY HAVE BEEN JUST AN INDICATION PROB AS IT SEEMED AT THE TIME.
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.