DURING CLBOUT IN ZTL; GA; AIRSPACE; AN MD88 EXPERIENCES A 'START VALVE OPEN' MESSAGE. FLC DOES NOT SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND DISCOVERS UPON LNDG THAT A CRACK IN THE AIR DUCT IS CAUSING DELAMINATION OF ENG COWLING.

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ON CLBOUT; MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED; ALONG WITH MESSAGE 'L START VALVE OPEN.' FOLLOWED PROC IN ACFT MANUAL. WITH THRUST REDUCED; LIGHT ALTERNATED BTWN INTERMITTENT AND STEADY ILLUMINATION OVER THE NEXT FEW MINS WHILE WE OBSERVED ENG INSTS FOR ANY OTHER ABNORMAL INDICATIONS. WE DISCUSSED PROB WITH COMPANY MAINT AND DISPATCH. BASED ON STABLE ENG INDICATIONS; WE RESTORED THRUST (WHICH HAD BEEN REDUCED TO IDLE) AT THE REQUEST OF COMPANY MAINT; WHILE CONTINUING TO OBSERVE ENG PARAMETERS. LIGHT FINALLY REMAINED EXTINGUISHED AND ENG INDICATIONS REMAINED NORMAL. DISPATCHER; FLC AND MAINT WERE IN AGREEMENT THAT THE FLT COULD CONTINUE TO DEST SAFELY. MAINT AT ARR STATION FOUND NO PROB WITH STARTER; BUT DID FIND PNEUMATIC DUCTING CRACKED THROUGH ON TOP OF ENG (OPPOSITE FROM STARTER ASSEMBLY WHICH IS BELOW ENG). APPARENTLY; THE AIR LEAK FROM THIS DUCT ALSO CAUSED SOME DELAMINATION OF THE INSIDE SURFACE OF ENG COWL. IN HINDSIGHT; PERHAPS RETURNING TO DEP ARPT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MORE PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION (MY INITIAL INSTINCT). GIVEN THE INFO AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THOUGH IT DID SEEM SAFE TO PROCEED; AS THE SIT NO LONGER EXISTED; OR MAY HAVE BEEN JUST AN INDICATION PROB AS IT SEEMED AT THE TIME.