B737-700 crew found the engine start levers out of the run detent after departing phx.

Attributes
ACN	555707
Time
Date	200208
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx.airport
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl single value : 12000
Environment
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : p50.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : sjn2.sjn
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 7500
ASRS Report	555707
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 1050
ASRS Report	555708
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Start levers out of detent after takeoff. Pushback and checklist use normal. After takeoff and during the sjn 2 departure from runway 25R in phx, we began a turn to an assigned heading of about 070 degrees. There were some thunderstorms ahead of us about 60 mi on the departure. I looked down to turn on the radar. When I did, I noticed that both start levers were out of the detent and had moved down approximately 1 inch towards cutoff. I drew the first officer's attention to the levers and pushed them back up into detent. We have no idea how the start levers got out of the detent position. I physically and visually checked them in detent during engine start. They are again physically and visually checked during the checklist by me and verified by the first officer. There is no doubt in my or my first officer's mind that the start levers were in detent. We are 100% positive they were in the correct position. We talked about the situation, and neither one of us were near the start levers in any way other than me advancing the throttle for takeoff and he setting takeoff thrust. After the start levers were returned to detent, they stayed there and did not move (as they are supposed to work). Once again, we have no idea how they came to be out of detent. There might be some problem yet not noted in the B737-700. Supplemental information from acn 555708: first day of 3-DAY trip. On time push. Read the pre-takeoff checklist in accordance with procedures prior to taxi. During pre-takeoff checklist, captain physically checked start levers in detent and I visually confirmed. Takeoff was maximum -N1, as we were heavy and we had a long leg. After takeoff on st johns 2 departure, captain looked down to WX radar and noticed both start levers approximately 1 inch out of detent. Captain drew my attention to the start levers and he immediately returned them to the detent position. No further problems due to the event. We discussed how the start levers could have come out of detent and came up with some ideas, but have no current explanation beyond a mechanical/hardware theory.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW FOUND THE ENG START LEVERS OUT OF THE RUN DETENT AFTER DEPARTING PHX.

Narrative: START LEVERS OUT OF DETENT AFTER TKOF. PUSHBACK AND CHKLIST USE NORMAL. AFTER TKOF AND DURING THE SJN 2 DEP FROM RWY 25R IN PHX, WE BEGAN A TURN TO AN ASSIGNED HDG OF ABOUT 070 DEGS. THERE WERE SOME TSTMS AHEAD OF US ABOUT 60 MI ON THE DEP. I LOOKED DOWN TO TURN ON THE RADAR. WHEN I DID, I NOTICED THAT BOTH START LEVERS WERE OUT OF THE DETENT AND HAD MOVED DOWN APPROX 1 INCH TOWARDS CUTOFF. I DREW THE FO'S ATTN TO THE LEVERS AND PUSHED THEM BACK UP INTO DETENT. WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW THE START LEVERS GOT OUT OF THE DETENT POS. I PHYSICALLY AND VISUALLY CHKED THEM IN DETENT DURING ENG START. THEY ARE AGAIN PHYSICALLY AND VISUALLY CHKED DURING THE CHKLIST BY ME AND VERIFIED BY THE FO. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY OR MY FO'S MIND THAT THE START LEVERS WERE IN DETENT. WE ARE 100% POSITIVE THEY WERE IN THE CORRECT POS. WE TALKED ABOUT THE SIT, AND NEITHER ONE OF US WERE NEAR THE START LEVERS IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN ME ADVANCING THE THROTTLE FOR TKOF AND HE SETTING TKOF THRUST. AFTER THE START LEVERS WERE RETURNED TO DETENT, THEY STAYED THERE AND DID NOT MOVE (AS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK). ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY CAME TO BE OUT OF DETENT. THERE MIGHT BE SOME PROB YET NOT NOTED IN THE B737-700. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 555708: FIRST DAY OF 3-DAY TRIP. ON TIME PUSH. READ THE PRE-TKOF CHKLIST IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROCS PRIOR TO TAXI. DURING PRE-TKOF CHKLIST, CAPT PHYSICALLY CHKED START LEVERS IN DETENT AND I VISUALLY CONFIRMED. TKOF WAS MAX -N1, AS WE WERE HVY AND WE HAD A LONG LEG. AFTER TKOF ON ST JOHNS 2 DEP, CAPT LOOKED DOWN TO WX RADAR AND NOTICED BOTH START LEVERS APPROX 1 INCH OUT OF DETENT. CAPT DREW MY ATTN TO THE START LEVERS AND HE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED THEM TO THE DETENT POS. NO FURTHER PROBS DUE TO THE EVENT. WE DISCUSSED HOW THE START LEVERS COULD HAVE COME OUT OF DETENT AND CAME UP WITH SOME IDEAS, BUT HAVE NO CURRENT EXPLANATION BEYOND A MECHANICAL/HARDWARE THEORY.

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.