L ENG APPEARED TO START NORMALLY BUT AS A GENERATOR PROBLEM WAS NOTED IT SPOOLED DOWN RESULTING IN A HOT START.

Narrative

DEPARTING CVG THE L ENG WAS STARTED AS BRAKES WERE SET FOR TUG DISCONNECT. INDICATIONS DURING START WERE NORMAL. AT STARTER VALVE RELEASE N2 WAS ACCELERATING NORMALLY. TUG DRIVER INDICATED THE TOW BAR WAS DISCONNECTED AND MADE THE USUAL 'HAVE A NICE FLT' COMMENT. I ANSWERED HIM AND SAW 42 PERCENT N2 WITH THE INDICATOR HDG TOWARD 43 PERCENT. AT THAT TIME I HEARD THE 'CLUNK' FOR WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE ENG GENERATOR ACCEPTING THE BUSS LOAD FROM THE APU. I LOOKED BRIEFLY AT THE TAXI DIRECTOR AND BACK INSIDE TO VERIFY THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS STILL ON; AS I WAS PLANNING ON STARTING BOTH ENGS FOR 2 ENG TAXI OUT (N SIDE RAMP CVG). AFTER LOOKING AT THE IGNITION SWITCH; I REALIZED I HAD NOT CALLED OUT '46 PERCENT; GOOD START' AS IS MY NORMAL PROC. AT THAT INSTANT THE FO SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A 'PROBLEM WITH THIS GENERATOR.' I NOTICED WE HAD NORMAL VOLTAGE BUT NO FREQ SHOWING. THE APU BLUE BUSS LIGHT WAS STILL ON; AND THINKING WE HAD A GENERATOR PROBLEM; I ATTEMPTED AN UNSUCCESSFUL RESET. I TOLD THE FO TO GET THE BOOK OUT AND WHILE HE WAS DOING SO; NOTICED N2 HAD ROLLED BACK TO 35 PERCENT. WE SECURED THE ENG AND NOTIFIED MAINT. MAINT VISUALLY INSPECTED THE ENG AND MADE A NORMAL START. ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. RECOMMENDATIONS: FLT CREW BULLETIN MENTIONS THAT A HUNG START MAY CAUSE THE GENERATOR TO CYCLE ON AND OFF. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN ADDITIONAL STATEMENT CONCERNING THE SITUATION WE HAD: NORMAL VOLTAGE BUT NO FREQ BECAUSE THE ENG WAS NOT IDLING FAST ENOUGH TO DRIVE THE CSD SUFFICIENTLY TO OUTPUT 400 CPS. IF A ROLLBACK OCCURRED EVEN LATER AFTER THE START; THIS INDICATION MAY SHIFT THE CREW'S ATTN FROM THE GENERATOR TO THE ENG; WHERE THE PROBLEM REALLY IS. IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH FLT TRAINING I LEARNED THAT THE NEW MIN IDLE SPD WILL BE 50 PERCENT N2. I STRONGLY URGE THE ADDITION OF AN AUDIBLE '50 PERCENT N2; NORMAL START' AS THE LAST ITEM OF THE LITANY THAT BEGINS WITH 'L (OR R) START VALVE OPEN; N2; HYD; OIL; N1; ETC.' I AM AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS CREATED BY ADDITIONAL MANDATORY CALLOUTS AND UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR MINIMIZING UNIMPORTANT 'VERBOLOGY.' HOWEVER; TO PROLONG THE START PROC FROM START VALVE RELEASE (40 PERCENT N2) TO 50 PERCENT N2 BY MAKING A STATEMENT AT 50 PERCENT N2; I THINK; WOULD BE A WAY OF FIXING A PLT'S ATTN UNTIL A SUCCESSFUL START IS COMPLETED.