Air carrier large transport had to make manual start of #3 engine.

Attributes
ACN	87586
Time
Date	198805
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cos
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8500
ASRS Report	87586
Person 2
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

#3 engine wouldn't start. Contract maintenance station said appeared to be bad start valve. MEL said go with manual start sent for mechanic. Agent assured me mechanic would be there momentarily, so I elected to leave engine running to save time. Mechanic arrived pretty quickly. Didn't check in with me. Ground man said he seemed to be having trouble with cowling. Got #3 started, but obviously coordination between mechanic, ground man and myself was poor. Mechanic came to sign off and confirm valve closed. He had been manually holding valve open for a while (bleeds closed, nothing happened) before my signal to open it. I asked if he needed to check with our main base maintenance tech people and he said he didn't. Just after departure, I realized we probably should have had the valve placarded. Asked agent by radio to call tech and see if we should return to gate for placard by mechanic. Advised tech said not necessary as long as they knew about it. Next landing at maintenance station. Didn't get some helpful advice/suggestions I could have used. However, basic problem was: to handle this situation properly, at contract maintenance station, should have shut down, called technician myself, briefed ground man and mechanic. Would have saved time, noise, fuel and the need for this report.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT HAD TO MAKE MANUAL START OF #3 ENGINE.

Narrative: #3 ENG WOULDN'T START. CONTRACT MAINT STATION SAID APPEARED TO BE BAD START VALVE. MEL SAID GO WITH MANUAL START SENT FOR MECHANIC. AGENT ASSURED ME MECH WOULD BE THERE MOMENTARILY, SO I ELECTED TO LEAVE ENG RUNNING TO SAVE TIME. MECH ARRIVED PRETTY QUICKLY. DIDN'T CHK IN WITH ME. GND MAN SAID HE SEEMED TO BE HAVING TROUBLE WITH COWLING. GOT #3 STARTED, BUT OBVIOUSLY COORD BTWN MECH, GND MAN AND MYSELF WAS POOR. MECH CAME TO SIGN OFF AND CONFIRM VALVE CLOSED. HE HAD BEEN MANUALLY HOLDING VALVE OPEN FOR A WHILE (BLEEDS CLOSED, NOTHING HAPPENED) BEFORE MY SIGNAL TO OPEN IT. I ASKED IF HE NEEDED TO CHK WITH OUR MAIN BASE MAINT TECH PEOPLE AND HE SAID HE DIDN'T. JUST AFTER DEP, I REALIZED WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HAD THE VALVE PLACARDED. ASKED AGENT BY RADIO TO CALL TECH AND SEE IF WE SHOULD RETURN TO GATE FOR PLACARD BY MECH. ADVISED TECH SAID NOT NECESSARY AS LONG AS THEY KNEW ABOUT IT. NEXT LNDG AT MAINT STATION. DIDN'T GET SOME HELPFUL ADVICE/SUGGESTIONS I COULD HAVE USED. HOWEVER, BASIC PROB WAS: TO HANDLE THIS SITUATION PROPERLY, AT CONTRACT MAINT STATION, SHOULD HAVE SHUT DOWN, CALLED TECHNICIAN MYSELF, BRIEFED GND MAN AND MECH. WOULD HAVE SAVED TIME, NOISE, FUEL AND THE NEED FOR THIS RPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.