Narrative:

Started #2 engine during pushback and everything appeared normal. #2 engine continued to accelerate and I suspected a runaway engine and moved the start lever to 'cutoff.' first officer and jumpseater noticed the throttles above idle and moved them to idle (2-3 inches forward of idle). No limits were exceeded and no damage or injuries resulted. Supplemental information from acn 693943: I was a jumpseater on this flight. Before start checklists were completed and the push was just about complete when the captain started the #2 engine. I was still plugging in my headset when I heard the engine begin to spool up far beyond normal idle. I glanced at the captain and then the first officer said; 'what's going on?' I then saw both thrust levers at mid-quadrant. I reached up over the console and grabbed both thrust levers bringing them to the aft stop. When the first officer saw my hands; I was joined in the effort. At about the same time the captain grabbed the start lever and shut the engine down. No engine limitations were exceeded. Some discussion between the captain and the marshaller took place then he started the #1 engine followed again by the #2. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. We talked about the incident and debriefed what link caused the error and what to do about it in the future. Interestingly; we all assessed the problem differently. The captain didn't know what caused the engine to race and was looking outside at the time; but felt that shutting down the engine was the best course of action. The first officer thought that the engine was a runaway and focused on the engine gauges. To me it was reminiscent of the times students of mine started an engine with the throttle too far advanced for start so I focused on the thrust lever position. Regardless; it is a lesson for everyone to check and crosscheck. These pilots are some of the most proficient and professional in the organization. I feel that a collective distraction; frustration and general malaise within the pilot group caused by factors beyond the control of the pilots is a primary contributor to this and other recent incidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW ABORTS ENG START ON PUSHBACK DUE TO THRUST LEVERS SET TO HIGH.

Narrative: STARTED #2 ENG DURING PUSHBACK AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. #2 ENG CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND I SUSPECTED A RUNAWAY ENG AND MOVED THE START LEVER TO 'CUTOFF.' FO AND JUMPSEATER NOTICED THE THROTTLES ABOVE IDLE AND MOVED THEM TO IDLE (2-3 INCHES FORWARD OF IDLE). NO LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED AND NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES RESULTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 693943: I WAS A JUMPSEATER ON THIS FLT. BEFORE START CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED AND THE PUSH WAS JUST ABOUT COMPLETE WHEN THE CAPT STARTED THE #2 ENG. I WAS STILL PLUGGING IN MY HEADSET WHEN I HEARD THE ENG BEGIN TO SPOOL UP FAR BEYOND NORMAL IDLE. I GLANCED AT THE CAPT AND THEN THE FO SAID; 'WHAT'S GOING ON?' I THEN SAW BOTH THRUST LEVERS AT MID-QUADRANT. I REACHED UP OVER THE CONSOLE AND GRABBED BOTH THRUST LEVERS BRINGING THEM TO THE AFT STOP. WHEN THE FO SAW MY HANDS; I WAS JOINED IN THE EFFORT. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE CAPT GRABBED THE START LEVER AND SHUT THE ENG DOWN. NO ENG LIMITATIONS WERE EXCEEDED. SOME DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE CAPT AND THE MARSHALLER TOOK PLACE THEN HE STARTED THE #1 ENG FOLLOWED AGAIN BY THE #2. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE TALKED ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND DEBRIEFED WHAT LINK CAUSED THE ERROR AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE. INTERESTINGLY; WE ALL ASSESSED THE PROB DIFFERENTLY. THE CAPT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE ENG TO RACE AND WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE AT THE TIME; BUT FELT THAT SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. THE FO THOUGHT THAT THE ENG WAS A RUNAWAY AND FOCUSED ON THE ENG GAUGES. TO ME IT WAS REMINISCENT OF THE TIMES STUDENTS OF MINE STARTED AN ENG WITH THE THROTTLE TOO FAR ADVANCED FOR START SO I FOCUSED ON THE THRUST LEVER POSITION. REGARDLESS; IT IS A LESSON FOR EVERYONE TO CHECK AND CROSSCHECK. THESE PLTS ARE SOME OF THE MOST PROFICIENT AND PROFESSIONAL IN THE ORGANIZATION. I FEEL THAT A COLLECTIVE DISTRACTION; FRUSTRATION AND GENERAL MALAISE WITHIN THE PILOT GROUP CAUSED BY FACTORS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE PLTS IS A PRIMARY CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS AND OTHER RECENT INCIDENTS.

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.