ERJ-175 flight crew reported a fuel leak on the number 2 engine while at the gate. At the request of maintenance; the flight crew conducted an engine run resulting in a rapid increase in interstage turbine temperature with an accompanying tail pipe fire. The engine was shut down; fire extinguished; and aircraft removed from service for maintenance.
Synopsis
ERJ-175 flight crew reported a fuel leak on the number 2 engine while at the gate. At the request of maintenance; the flight crew conducted an engine run resulting in a rapid increase in interstage turbine temperature with an accompanying tail pipe fire. The engine was shut down; fire extinguished; and aircraft removed from service for maintenance.
Narrative
The First Officer discovered a fuel leak on the number two engine. Wrote up in [the logbook] as number two engine leaking jet fuel. Called maintenance control then waited. Contract maintenance came and talked to maintenance controller. Was told by contract maintenance that didn't look good; but Operations wants an engine run up for five minutes. We coordinated engine runup with operations and had contract maintenance supervision. We started the number two engine and observed ITT jump to +500. We aborted the start and engine ITT (Interstage Turbine Temperature) dropped to around 200 and then spiked up to 940. I pulled the fire handle to stop the fuel. Contract maintenance came back; and I described what happened. We called maintenance controller as well and I gave them the same description. When we got off the phone. The second contact maintenance guy comes in and says they're still fire in engine. To put out fire contact maintenance instructed us dry motor engine. Which required the fire handle to be stowed. Contract maintenance called fire department. When the dry motor was complete I went out to inspect with contract maintenance. The first Officer saw ITT again rise and pulled the fire handle to shut fuel SOV (Shut Off Valve). No indication of fire was ever seen on EICAS and the fire was confirmed out. Called Maintenance and advised of what just happened and that fire department had been called. Cause was trying to do an engine runup. Did not think like it was a good idea but had maintenance asking for it. Do not think controller knew how big leak really it was. Would have liked to have spoken out on feeling uncomfortable with doing an engine runup and given my advice not to do it.
Second reporter narrative
We landed in ZZZ without issue. I went to do my post flight walk-around and discovered a fuel leak on the number 2 engine. I had the captain come out and look at it; and then he wrote it up. He called [company] maintenance and then we waited for contract maintenance to come take a look. We were told by maintenance to start and run the number 2 engine for 5 minutes. We coordinated for the start with ops; contract maintenance; and ground. During engine start; the ITT (Interstage Turbine Temperature) spiked quickly; and then started dropping rapidly. I performed the QRC memory item for engine abnormal start and turned the start/stop selector to stop. After this; the ITT spikes past redline; into the 900s. The captain pulled the fire handle and the ITT goes down. We get an engine exceedance message; but no fire messages. We talk to contract maintenance and [company] maintenance about what happened. Then a second contract maintenance employee who was monitoring outside comes to tell us there are flames coming out of the engine. Contract maintenance instructs us to dry motor the engine and then monitors outside while we do so. The fire department is called. After dry motoring; the captain walks outside to talk to contract maintenance; and just after he leaves the ITT starts to spike right past redline again. I pull the fire handle and the ITT goes down. Still no fire message. We then remain on the plane to monitor the ITT temperature. Because I am not an A&P; I don't want to speculate about what the causes were in terms of what happened in the engine; but other causes could have been the fuel leak itself; direction from maintenance; and pilot action. In terms of avoiding a recurrence or a similar event; I feel like I can only evaluate my own actions. The main thing that I have been thinking about is how uncomfortable I felt about the direction to start the engine. I should have voiced this discomfort. I let the fact that I felt that I was the least experienced person in the situation stand in the way of voicing my opinion and making my own decision on how to act/not act. In the future I will trust my instinct to speak up to get more information at the very least.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.