Narrative:

During engine start, left engine flamed out. Status message indicated fuel valve left. Since it was a status message, we conferred with the maintenance man on the headset and restarted the engine. After a stable start, I called maintenance control using satcom. We, together, made the decision to continue the flight. The only checklist generated on EICAS was engine fail left. At home, I looked at the flight manual and reviewed the engine fuel valve left checklist, which had not been displayed on EICAS. This information leads me to believe I should not have restarted the engine. Maintenance should have investigated. Supplemental information from acn 627133: the left engine appeared to shut itself down without attempting an automatic-restart. At some point the message 'engine fuel valve left' was illuminated which was eventually followed by an engine fail message. Maximum temperature during start was just over 400 degrees. We then displayed the fuel synoptic which indicated an amber 'X' located at a forward location on the left engine. Combined with the message, we determined that the fuel valve position was in disagreement. During the second start attempt, the fuel valve went to a closed position and then open, resulting in a normal start with normal indications. Conferring with several parties afterward, it was determined that perhaps the decision to continue was in error, resulting in a review of the problem and the generation of this report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B777 AND MAINT CTLR REACT IMPROPERLY TO ENG START FAILURE. FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE START ANOMALY REQUIRED MAINT ATTN.

Narrative: DURING ENG START, L ENG FLAMED OUT. STATUS MESSAGE INDICATED FUEL VALVE L. SINCE IT WAS A STATUS MESSAGE, WE CONFERRED WITH THE MAINT MAN ON THE HEADSET AND RESTARTED THE ENG. AFTER A STABLE START, I CALLED MAINT CTL USING SATCOM. WE, TOGETHER, MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE THE FLT. THE ONLY CHKLIST GENERATED ON EICAS WAS ENG FAIL L. AT HOME, I LOOKED AT THE FLT MANUAL AND REVIEWED THE ENG FUEL VALVE L CHKLIST, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN DISPLAYED ON EICAS. THIS INFO LEADS ME TO BELIEVE I SHOULD NOT HAVE RESTARTED THE ENG. MAINT SHOULD HAVE INVESTIGATED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 627133: THE L ENG APPEARED TO SHUT ITSELF DOWN WITHOUT ATTEMPTING AN AUTO-RESTART. AT SOME POINT THE MESSAGE 'ENG FUEL VALVE L' WAS ILLUMINATED WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY FOLLOWED BY AN ENG FAIL MESSAGE. MAX TEMP DURING START WAS JUST OVER 400 DEGS. WE THEN DISPLAYED THE FUEL SYNOPTIC WHICH INDICATED AN AMBER 'X' LOCATED AT A FORWARD LOCATION ON THE L ENG. COMBINED WITH THE MESSAGE, WE DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL VALVE POS WAS IN DISAGREEMENT. DURING THE SECOND START ATTEMPT, THE FUEL VALVE WENT TO A CLOSED POS AND THEN OPEN, RESULTING IN A NORMAL START WITH NORMAL INDICATIONS. CONFERRING WITH SEVERAL PARTIES AFTERWARD, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT PERHAPS THE DECISION TO CONTINUE WAS IN ERROR, RESULTING IN A REVIEW OF THE PROB AND THE GENERATION OF THIS RPT.

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.