TKOF ABORTED IN B-727 FREIGHTER.

Narrative

FLT A BOEING 727 BLOCKED OUT FROM THE CARGO RAMP AT XX34 ON SEP/XX/94. ENG START WAS NORMAL. THE ACFT TAXIED TO RWY 25R. ALL NORMAL PROCS AND CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED PRIOR TO TKOF. TKOF CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AT X45Z. ON THE RWY ENG SPOOL-UP AND ENG READINGS WERE NORMAL FOR TKOF. JUST PRIOR TO V1 SPD; AT 118 KIAS; THE ENG FIRE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE WARNING BELL SOUNDED. THE CAPT ELECTED TO REJECT THE TKOF. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A STOP WITH APPROX 4000 FT OF RWY REMAINING. THE #3 ENG FIRE HANDLE (WHICH WAS ILLUMINATED) WAS PULLED AND THE FIRE LIGHT WENT OUT. FIRE BOTTLES WERE NOT DISCHARGED. ENG FIRE DETECTION LOOPS CHKED OKAY. CHKLISTS PERTAINING TO REJECTED TKOF; ENG FIRE; AND ENG SHUTDOWN WERE COMPLETED AFTER TAXIING CLR OF THE RWY. LAX TWR HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE REJECTED TKOF AND ENG FIRE INDICATION AND ASKED TO DEPLOY THE CRASH CREW. WHEN CFR ARRIVED AT THE ACFT THEY RPTED NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE ON THE #3 ENG. ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE RAMP. MAINT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE STARTER ON THE #3 ENG HAD FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY; DAMAGING THE FIRE WARNING LOOP NEARBY. THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE STARTER FAILURE WAS THAT IT WAS NOT DISENGAGED AFTER ENG START. THE SO STATED THAT THE PNEUMATIC DUCT PRESSURE DID RISE; DURING THE #3 ENG START; WHEN HE RELEASED THE START SWITCH. THIS INDICATES THAT THE START VALVE CLOSED AND THAT; THEREFORE; THE STARTER SHOULD HAVE DISENGAGED. FLT SAFETY AND MAINT DEPS ARE STILL INVESTIGATING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 284354: SO RPTED THAT DURING ENG STARTING 1; 2; 3. DUCT PRESSURE RISE AT END OF START SEQUENCE WAS NORMAL AND IN LINE WITH PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AT ENG STARTS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MODIFIED B727-RE WITH CONVERSION KITS. NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THESE TYPE ENGS AND NO PREVIOUS TRAINING AS TO DIFFERENT PARAMETERS AT THE END OF THE START SEQUENCE FOR THE ABILITY TO DETERMINE CUTOUT.