Narrative:

As we crossed runway 3 we were about third in line for takeoff. The captain directed me to start the #2 engine. As briefed on the first leg of the rotation, I was to engage the starter and the fuel. I turned off the right pack and engaged the starter with my left hand. We had good rotation and oil pressure when I reached over with my right hand to turn on the fuel lever. I noted fuel flow but no light off. I looked up and noticed the ignition was not on and released the start switch. I then proceeded to get the pom out for the aborted start procedure. I read the notes at the top of the page, none of which applied to our case. I looked up and noticed we were now next in line for takeoff. I went back to the aborted start checklist, but apparently missed the 'fuel lever switch off' item. I observed the ignition was off and read the final items of the checklist. When the N1 decreased to zero, I initiated a second start attempt verifying we had starting air pressure and the ignition switch was on. When I engaged the starter, N2 came up followed by oil pressure. At this time I noticed flashing egt peaking at 650 degrees -- the captain noticed 675 degrees. I shut off the fuel and continued motoring the engine for approximately 10 seconds. The egt decreased to about 230 degrees. At that time, we decided to return to the gate. I called dca operations for a gate and the captain called ground control for taxi back. We did a 180 degree turn on taxiway J per ground control instructions. At that time, we were notified by ground control of reports of a small fire in the aft section of our #2 engine. I asked if it was still on fire and several reports from ground control and other aircraft confirmed a small fire inside the engine. I notified ground control that we wanted the fire department to respond. I called the flight attendant in charge through the open cockpit door and told her we had reports of a fire in our right engine and to notify her crew of a possible evacuate/evacuation through the forward left door. As the fire trucks were arriving the captain made several attempts to talk to them unsuccessfully. We decided to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft. The captain and I prepared for a possible evacuate/evacuation by disarming the spoilers and setting the flaps to 28 degrees. I then made an announcement to inform the passenger that we had reports of a fire in our right engine and as a precaution directed an evacuate/evacuation of the aircraft through the forward left door. We then completed the evacuate/evacuation checklist and left the cockpit to assist in the evacuate/evacuation of the aircraft. Several (8-11) people had already evacuate/evacuationed by the time the firemen arrived at the left side and instructed us to discontinue the evacuate/evacuation. They said the fire had been contained by the use of fire suppression agent. I was not aware of any injuries to anyone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC IN AN MLG USES IMPROPER START PROC AND EXPERIENCES AN OVERTEMP CONDITION DURING START RESULTING IN A TAILPIPE FIRE AFTER SHUTDOWN. THIS LED TO A DECISION TO EVAC WHICH WAS COUNTERMANDED AFTER SEVERAL PAX HAD ALREADY DEPARTED THE ACFT.

Narrative: AS WE CROSSED RWY 3 WE WERE ABOUT THIRD IN LINE FOR TKOF. THE CAPT DIRECTED ME TO START THE #2 ENG. AS BRIEFED ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE ROTATION, I WAS TO ENGAGE THE STARTER AND THE FUEL. I TURNED OFF THE R PACK AND ENGAGED THE STARTER WITH MY L HAND. WE HAD GOOD ROTATION AND OIL PRESSURE WHEN I REACHED OVER WITH MY R HAND TO TURN ON THE FUEL LEVER. I NOTED FUEL FLOW BUT NO LIGHT OFF. I LOOKED UP AND NOTICED THE IGNITION WAS NOT ON AND RELEASED THE START SWITCH. I THEN PROCEEDED TO GET THE POM OUT FOR THE ABORTED START PROC. I READ THE NOTES AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE, NONE OF WHICH APPLIED TO OUR CASE. I LOOKED UP AND NOTICED WE WERE NOW NEXT IN LINE FOR TKOF. I WENT BACK TO THE ABORTED START CHKLIST, BUT APPARENTLY MISSED THE 'FUEL LEVER SWITCH OFF' ITEM. I OBSERVED THE IGNITION WAS OFF AND READ THE FINAL ITEMS OF THE CHKLIST. WHEN THE N1 DECREASED TO ZERO, I INITIATED A SECOND START ATTEMPT VERIFYING WE HAD STARTING AIR PRESSURE AND THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS ON. WHEN I ENGAGED THE STARTER, N2 CAME UP FOLLOWED BY OIL PRESSURE. AT THIS TIME I NOTICED FLASHING EGT PEAKING AT 650 DEGS -- THE CAPT NOTICED 675 DEGS. I SHUT OFF THE FUEL AND CONTINUED MOTORING THE ENG FOR APPROX 10 SECONDS. THE EGT DECREASED TO ABOUT 230 DEGS. AT THAT TIME, WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE GATE. I CALLED DCA OPS FOR A GATE AND THE CAPT CALLED GND CTL FOR TAXI BACK. WE DID A 180 DEG TURN ON TXWY J PER GND CTL INSTRUCTIONS. AT THAT TIME, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY GND CTL OF RPTS OF A SMALL FIRE IN THE AFT SECTION OF OUR #2 ENG. I ASKED IF IT WAS STILL ON FIRE AND SEVERAL RPTS FROM GND CTL AND OTHER ACFT CONFIRMED A SMALL FIRE INSIDE THE ENG. I NOTIFIED GND CTL THAT WE WANTED THE FIRE DEPT TO RESPOND. I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE THROUGH THE OPEN COCKPIT DOOR AND TOLD HER WE HAD RPTS OF A FIRE IN OUR R ENG AND TO NOTIFY HER CREW OF A POSSIBLE EVAC THROUGH THE FORWARD L DOOR. AS THE FIRE TRUCKS WERE ARRIVING THE CAPT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TALK TO THEM UNSUCCESSFULLY. WE DECIDED TO EVAC THE ACFT. THE CAPT AND I PREPARED FOR A POSSIBLE EVAC BY DISARMING THE SPOILERS AND SETTING THE FLAPS TO 28 DEGS. I THEN MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO INFORM THE PAX THAT WE HAD RPTS OF A FIRE IN OUR R ENG AND AS A PRECAUTION DIRECTED AN EVAC OF THE ACFT THROUGH THE FORWARD L DOOR. WE THEN COMPLETED THE EVAC CHKLIST AND LEFT THE COCKPIT TO ASSIST IN THE EVAC OF THE ACFT. SEVERAL (8-11) PEOPLE HAD ALREADY EVACED BY THE TIME THE FIREMEN ARRIVED AT THE L SIDE AND INSTRUCTED US TO DISCONTINUE THE EVAC. THEY SAID THE FIRE HAD BEEN CONTAINED BY THE USE OF FIRE SUPPRESSION AGENT. I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY INJURIES TO ANYONE.

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.