A FOKKER 100 ON #2 ENG START ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL EXCEPT N2 SPD WHICH REMAINED AT 35% CAUSED BY FAILURE OF ALL THE COMBUSTION BURNER CANS TO LIGHT. AS A RESULT THE STARTER NEVER DISENGAGED.

Narrative

DURING #2 ENG START; LIGHTOFF AND ACCELERATION APPEARED TO BE NORMAL INITIALLY. N1; EPR; AND TGT REACHED NORMAL LIMITS; BUT N2 ONLY REACHED 35%. I ABORTED THE START AT APPROX 1 MIN 30 SECONDS BY PRESSING THE START BUTTON; TURNING OFF THE IGNITION; AND SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL LEVER. PRESSING THE START BUTTON CAUSED AN ENG #2 FAILURE MESSAGE AND CHKLIST ON THE MFDU. I VERIFIED 0 FUEL FLOW; WATCHED AS THE TGT AND RPM'S DECREASED; AND ASKED THE GUIDEMAN TO CHK THE ENG FOR TORCHING OR SMOKE. HE COULD NOT VERIFY THIS BECAUSE OF DARKNESS AND SNOWFALL; SO I ELECTED TO MOTOR THE ENG TO CLR IT. AS I DID THIS; IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE STARTER HAD NEVER DROPPED OUT FROM THE INITIAL START ATTEMPT. SINCE I ESTIMATED THE TOTAL STARTER ENGAGED TIME AT ABOUT 3 MINS 15 SECONDS; I INCLUDED THIS INFO IN MY LOG ENTRY. THIS START ATTEMPT PROB DID NOT FIT ANY SCENARIO I HAD SEEN IN SIMULATORS OR CLASSROOM TRAINING; AND DUE TO THE AUTOMATED START SYS OF THE FOKKER 100; IT WAS NOT OBVIOUS THAT THE STARTER HAD NOT DROPPED OUT; NOR WERE WE INITIALLY CERTAIN THAT WE HAD A PROB AT ALL. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH ORD MAINT AND ZZZ TECHNICIAN; I LEARNED THAT THIS PROB IS CAUSED BY SOME BURNER CANS FAILING TO LIGHT. THIS CONDITION IS SURPRISING WHEN FIRST ENCOUNTERED.