ACFT EQUIP PROB 'HIGH' IGNITER INOP ON #2 ENG.

Narrative

WE'D STARTED ENGS #1 AND #3; AND WERE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING #2; WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THE FO BROUGHT THE START LEVER UP TO 'START;' BUT THERE WAS NO LIGHT-OFF. I TOLD HIM TO 'WIGGLE IT;' BUT STILL NO LIGHT. AS I WAS WATCHING THE EGT GAUGE; THE FO BROUGHT THE START LEVER UP INTO 'IDLE' AND THE ENG 'LIT-OFF' NORMALLY. (THIS WAS AN 'OLD' PROC ON THIS ACFT AND NO LONGER SOP.) WHEN I LOOKED DOWN TO THE START LEVER QUADRANT; ALL START LEVERS WERE IN 'IDLE' AND ALL ENGS WERE RUNNING. ALL WAS AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THEN THE FO SAID; 'YOU KNOW I GOT THAT ONE ON LOW IGNITION.' THEN I KNEW WE'D USED AN OLD; BUT NOW UNSANCTIONED; PROC TO START THE ENG. EVERYTHING WAS OK; THE WX GOOD HERE; THERE AND ALONG OUR RTE. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE WERE ENRTE THAT THE FULL IMPACT OF WHAT I'D ACCEPTED DAWNED ON ME. I SENT THE LOGBOOK WRITE-UP IN VIA ACARS; AND HAD IT WRITTEN UP IN THE LOGBOOK. I'D BASICALLY SEEN WHAT I'D WANTED TO SEE; AND THE 'OLD START PROC' RATTLING AROUND IN THE BACK OF MY MIND FURTHER CONFUSED THINGS. IN ADDITION; THE FO HAD FLOWN THE DC-8 ON AN ALL CARGO AIRLINE WHERE THAT PROC WAS 'OK.' THE SO WAS BRAND NEW AND UNAWARE OF WHAT THE FINE POINTS WERE IN THIS CASE. CLASSIC CASE OF RETROACTIVE INHIBITION; OLD PROCS; AND SEEING WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE CONTRIBUTED TO ME ACCEPTING THIS ACFT AND CONTINUING ON TO DEST. I SHOULD'VE STOPPED RIGHT THERE AND HAD THE IGNITER BOX CHANGED.