FAA claims the widebody transport starter valve was inoperative for departure.

Attributes
ACN	89978
Time
Date	198806
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 275
ASRS Report	89978
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We had trouble starting the #2 engine. Maintenance came into the cockpit and held in the start switch to start the engine. They said this was a procedure approved by our maintenance base in mci. We did not consider the start mechanism inoperative and neither did they. I heard today that the FAA may come back later and say we departed a station west/O an inoperative sticker on the start switch. Also, on arrival at lax, maintenance could not duplicate the malfunction. It intermittently surfaced for several days, I'm told. If we had been told maintenance considered the start function inoperative, we certainly would have waited for the inoperative placard. Only one leg was flown in this conditions--jfk-lax. Next time I'll insist on a placard even if maintenance does not unless they give me written assurance that they consider the system operative.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA CLAIMS THE WDB STARTER VALVE WAS INOPERATIVE FOR DEP.

Narrative: WE HAD TROUBLE STARTING THE #2 ENG. MAINT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND HELD IN THE START SWITCH TO START THE ENG. THEY SAID THIS WAS A PROC APPROVED BY OUR MAINT BASE IN MCI. WE DID NOT CONSIDER THE START MECHANISM INOP AND NEITHER DID THEY. I HEARD TODAY THAT THE FAA MAY COME BACK LATER AND SAY WE DEPARTED A STATION W/O AN INOP STICKER ON THE START SWITCH. ALSO, ON ARR AT LAX, MAINT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE MALFUNCTION. IT INTERMITTENTLY SURFACED FOR SEVERAL DAYS, I'M TOLD. IF WE HAD BEEN TOLD MAINT CONSIDERED THE START FUNCTION INOP, WE CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE WAITED FOR THE INOP PLACARD. ONLY ONE LEG WAS FLOWN IN THIS CONDITIONS--JFK-LAX. NEXT TIME I'LL INSIST ON A PLACARD EVEN IF MAINT DOES NOT UNLESS THEY GIVE ME WRITTEN ASSURANCE THAT THEY CONSIDER THE SYS OPERATIVE.

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.