A DC9-10 FLC FAILS TO HAVE THE IGNITION ON WHEN ATTEMPTING #1 ENG START DURING PUSHBACK. AFTER ENG CLRED AN ATTEMPT TO START #2 ENG STARTED FIRE AND SMOKE WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED ON FOR THE START PROC. FLT EVENTUALLY CANCELED AFTER A TOW BACK TO GATE.

Narrative

DURING THE L ENG START; WE HAD NO LIGHT OFF (NOTICED IGNITION OFF); ABORTED START PER COM PROCS -- FUEL CTL LEVER OFF; MOTOR ENG FOR 10-15 SECONDS; SEE UNSATISFACTORY START AND CLRING PROC. WE THEN PREPARED TO START R ENG (TO ALLOW L ENG N2 TO RETURN TO ZERO) BUT AFTER PLACING IGNITION TO ON REMAINING RESIDUAL FUEL IN L ENG MUST HAVE CAUSED FLAME AND SMOKE AS RPTED BY OTHER TAXIING ACFT. NO FIRE WARNING OBSERVED IN COCKPIT (MAX EGT 300 DEGS). WITH GND MAINT PERSONNEL STILL CLOSE BY AND ASSESSING THE SIT FROM OUTSIDE; WE STOOD BY WITH COM AND READ BORDER EMER CHKLISTS. FURTHER; AN IMMEDIATE PA TO FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WAS MADE TO KEEP EVERYONE SEATED; CALM AND WELL INFORMED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; GND MAINT DIRECTED US TO MOTOR THE L ENG FOR 15-20 SECONDS. THEY THEN DIRECTED US TO PULL FIRE HANDLE AND DISCHARGE AGENT. ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER AND/OR REQUEST FURTHER ASSISTANCE; GND ATC ADVISED FIRE AND RESCUE UNITS TO THE SCENE AS AN EXTRA SAFETY PRECAUTION. AFTER CAREFUL EXAMINATION OF THE L ENG BY MAINT AND FIRE/RESCUE; WE WERE TOWED BACK TO THE GATE. AFTER NORMAL DEPLANING PROCS AT GATE; A DETAILED DESCRIPTION WAS RECORDED IN THE ACFT'S LOGBOOK; THE ACFT WAS TURNED OVER TO MAINT; AND I CONTACTED THE DTW CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE. IN SUMMARY; I REGRET THAT THE IGNITION WAS NOT PUT ON PRIOR TO START WHICH WAS POSSIBLY DUE TO DISTRACTIONS FROM OUR FIRST TIME USE OF DDTC DTW PROC. HOWEVER; ALL COM PROCS AND APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS WERE FOLLOWED DURING THIS EVENT. FURTHER; BY KEEPING CREW AND PAX WELL INFORMED (IE; SEVERAL PA'S) EVERYONE REMAINED CALM AND NO UNNECESSARY EVAC AND/OR INAPPROPRIATE ACTION WAS TAKEN -- JUST AS WE HAD CAREFULLY DISCUSSED IN OUR INITIAL PRE-DEP BRIEFINGS. MOST IMPORTANT; BY CLOSELY FOLLOWING COM PROCS AND CHKLIST NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED (AFTER A CAREFUL DETAILED INSPECTION AND REPLACED FIRE AGENT IT WAS RELEASED FOR SVC).