Narrative:

Started right engine normally. Left engine lit off after fuel lever on; but egt started decreasing after reaching approximately 200 degrees C. Start was aborted and checklist accomplished for no egt light off. Ground crew told me that catering had left engine intake cover in the left engine. Clearing engine procedure was performed after intake cover was removed. We towed back to gate and had maintenance do an engine inspection. The aircraft was signed off with no damage noted. We pushed back and after takeoff the flight attendants called to say there was a strong fuel smell in the back of the aircraft. The flight attendants in the aft cabin went on oxygen; but the forward flight attendant said she was not affected. The passenger were apparently not affected because they were all sitting in the forward part of the aircraft due to a very light load of approximately 30 people. Climbing through 10000 ft; the flight attendants said the smell subsided and they were ok to continue on. Dispatch and operations were contacted to let them know that the flight attendants were affected but said they were ok to continue as the cabin air had cleared. Descending through 10000 ft into oak; flight attendants in back again reported strong fuel smell and again went on oxygen. Once on the ground in oak; the 2 aft flight attendants described having had burning eyes; nausea and trouble breathing when the smell was strongest. On the ground in oak; the aircraft was written up for the strong odor and company medical was called to see if medical attention was needed for the affected flight attendants. Company medical did not recommend any further observation or treatment as the flight attendants said they were feeling ok once they got off the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER ATTEMPTING TO START THE L ENG WITH THE INLET COVER IN PLACE; MD80 FLT CREW GETS MAINT OK TO CONTINUE. CABIN FILLS WITH FUMES ON CLB AND AGAIN ON DSCNT.

Narrative: STARTED R ENG NORMALLY. L ENG LIT OFF AFTER FUEL LEVER ON; BUT EGT STARTED DECREASING AFTER REACHING APPROX 200 DEGS C. START WAS ABORTED AND CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED FOR NO EGT LIGHT OFF. GND CREW TOLD ME THAT CATERING HAD LEFT ENG INTAKE COVER IN THE L ENG. CLRING ENG PROC WAS PERFORMED AFTER INTAKE COVER WAS REMOVED. WE TOWED BACK TO GATE AND HAD MAINT DO AN ENG INSPECTION. THE ACFT WAS SIGNED OFF WITH NO DAMAGE NOTED. WE PUSHED BACK AND AFTER TKOF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED TO SAY THERE WAS A STRONG FUEL SMELL IN THE BACK OF THE ACFT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT CABIN WENT ON OXYGEN; BUT THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT SAID SHE WAS NOT AFFECTED. THE PAX WERE APPARENTLY NOT AFFECTED BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL SITTING IN THE FORWARD PART OF THE ACFT DUE TO A VERY LIGHT LOAD OF APPROX 30 PEOPLE. CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT; THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THE SMELL SUBSIDED AND THEY WERE OK TO CONTINUE ON. DISPATCH AND OPS WERE CONTACTED TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE AFFECTED BUT SAID THEY WERE OK TO CONTINUE AS THE CABIN AIR HAD CLRED. DSNDING THROUGH 10000 FT INTO OAK; FLT ATTENDANTS IN BACK AGAIN RPTED STRONG FUEL SMELL AND AGAIN WENT ON OXYGEN. ONCE ON THE GND IN OAK; THE 2 AFT FLT ATTENDANTS DESCRIBED HAVING HAD BURNING EYES; NAUSEA AND TROUBLE BREATHING WHEN THE SMELL WAS STRONGEST. ON THE GND IN OAK; THE ACFT WAS WRITTEN UP FOR THE STRONG ODOR AND COMPANY MEDICAL WAS CALLED TO SEE IF MEDICAL ATTN WAS NEEDED FOR THE AFFECTED FLT ATTENDANTS. COMPANY MEDICAL DID NOT RECOMMEND ANY FURTHER OBSERVATION OR TREATMENT AS THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY WERE FEELING OK ONCE THEY GOT OFF THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.