Flight crew of medium large transport attempting engine start to reposition aircraft to hangar unable to get light-off. After motoring the right engine briefly they attempt start on left engine. They are informed by a passing air carrier that there is flame coming from the tailpipe of the right engine. Ground crew never informed them of this.

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Attributes
ACN	381313
Time
Date	199709
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 5900 flight time type : 90
ASRS Report	381313
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

During pushback, we were starting #2 engine as this aircraft was finished for the day and were repositioning back to the hangar. The copilot started the #2 engine and light-off did not occur. Start was discontinued on #2 engine. #1 engine was started after motoring #2 engine. During #1 engine start an air carrier passed by and stated that flame was coming from the tailpipe of the right engine. There were no indications of a fire warning and no communication from the push crew about anything unusual. Fire agents #1 and #2 were activated into right engine and fire was extinguished. Checklist accomplished per company procedures. Aircraft towed back to hangar. One factor here in the abnormal start was likely, excessive tailwind. Push crew should have positioned aircraft with nose into wind for successful start. In addition, they should have notified us much earlier about the flame in our right engine. Aircraft aft engine should have been motored a bit longer than 20 seconds, redid due to nature of the wind.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MLG ATTEMPTING ENG START TO REPOSITION ACFT TO HANGAR UNABLE TO GET LIGHT-OFF. AFTER MOTORING THE R ENG BRIEFLY THEY ATTEMPT START ON L ENG. THEY ARE INFORMED BY A PASSING ACR THAT THERE IS FLAME COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE OF THE R ENG. GND CREW NEVER INFORMED THEM OF THIS.

Narrative: DURING PUSHBACK, WE WERE STARTING #2 ENG AS THIS ACFT WAS FINISHED FOR THE DAY AND WERE REPOSITIONING BACK TO THE HANGAR. THE COPLT STARTED THE #2 ENG AND LIGHT-OFF DID NOT OCCUR. START WAS DISCONTINUED ON #2 ENG. #1 ENG WAS STARTED AFTER MOTORING #2 ENG. DURING #1 ENG START AN ACR PASSED BY AND STATED THAT FLAME WAS COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE OF THE R ENG. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF A FIRE WARNING AND NO COM FROM THE PUSH CREW ABOUT ANYTHING UNUSUAL. FIRE AGENTS #1 AND #2 WERE ACTIVATED INTO R ENG AND FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED PER COMPANY PROCS. ACFT TOWED BACK TO HANGAR. ONE FACTOR HERE IN THE ABNORMAL START WAS LIKELY, EXCESSIVE TAILWIND. PUSH CREW SHOULD HAVE POSITIONED ACFT WITH NOSE INTO WIND FOR SUCCESSFUL START. IN ADDITION, THEY SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED US MUCH EARLIER ABOUT THE FLAME IN OUR R ENG. ACFT AFT ENG SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOTORED A BIT LONGER THAN 20 SECONDS, REDID DUE TO NATURE OF THE WIND.

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.