Narrative:

After pushback from the gate, #1 engine was started. Good air flow and start, however, start valve open light failed. Reference emergency procedure manual and no mention of a start valve light failure. Shut down the engine and notified maintenance. They said to try it again because we needed light. Limited guidance in manuals on whether we are cleared to attempt another start without maintenance working on aircraft. Start was normal and we asked maintenance if we needed to write it in the logbook. They said no, and our manuals were unclr about needing a write-up. We neglected to write it up and the rest of the flight was uneventful. Solutions: 1) more guidance for maintenance problem after push. 2) procedure needed for the malfunction. 3) unclr whether we can do the run and whether to write it up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B727 DEPARTS WITH A MALFUNCTIONING ENG START VALVE LIGHT. THE FLC HAD LITTLE GUIDANCE FROM THE GND CREW.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE, #1 ENG WAS STARTED. GOOD AIR FLOW AND START, HOWEVER, START VALVE OPEN LIGHT FAILED. REF EMER PROC MANUAL AND NO MENTION OF A START VALVE LIGHT FAILURE. SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND NOTIFIED MAINT. THEY SAID TO TRY IT AGAIN BECAUSE WE NEEDED LIGHT. LIMITED GUIDANCE IN MANUALS ON WHETHER WE ARE CLRED TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER START WITHOUT MAINT WORKING ON ACFT. START WAS NORMAL AND WE ASKED MAINT IF WE NEEDED TO WRITE IT IN THE LOGBOOK. THEY SAID NO, AND OUR MANUALS WERE UNCLR ABOUT NEEDING A WRITE-UP. WE NEGLECTED TO WRITE IT UP AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. SOLUTIONS: 1) MORE GUIDANCE FOR MAINT PROB AFTER PUSH. 2) PROC NEEDED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. 3) UNCLR WHETHER WE CAN DO THE RUN AND WHETHER TO WRITE IT UP.

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.