MD88 CREW DID NOT FOLLOW THE ABNORMAL ENG START CHKLIST. THEY MANAGED TO IGNITE FUEL PUDDLE IN THE ENG; WITH NO ENG AIRFLOW OR N2 RPM. THE ENG EGT LIMIT WAS EXCEEDED.

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AFTER PUSHING OFF OF GATE; WE STARTED THE L ENG AND BEGAN TAXIING S FOR A RWY 9L DEP. GND CTL CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 9L VIA TXWY M; THAT WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF AHEAD OF AN ACFT ON THE PARALLEL TXWY; AND TO SWITCH TO TWR CTL. AT THIS POINT I CALLED FOR THE TAXI CHKLIST AND TO IMMEDIATELY START THE R ENG AFTERWARDS. THE FO SET TWR FREQ AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE R ENG WHEN TWR CALLED TO SEE IF WE WERE READY AND THAT WE WERE NEXT FOR TKOF. I WAS TAXIING SLOWLY TO ALLOW FOR THE ENG START AND REQUIRED 2 MIN WARM-UP. THE FO WAS STARTING THE ENG BY HIMSELF. THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED TO INFORM THAT THEY WERE READY FOR TKOF. THE FO RESPONDED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; HE NOTED THAT THE R ENG WAS NOT STARTING. I LOOKED DOWN FROM TAXIING AND SAW NO EGT RISE; NOR RPM INCREASE; AND IMMEDIATELY LOOKED UP AT THE IGNITION SWITCH. POINTING TO IT; I SAID THAT IT WAS 'OFF.' THE FO RELEASED THE STARTER SWITCH AND THE RPMS DROPPED TO ZERO. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND SET THE PARKING BRAKE. TWR CALLED; AGAIN; AND ASKED IF WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. I REPLIED THAT WE WOULD BE ABOUT 3 MINS. I TOLD THE FO TO RESTART THE ENG AS I PLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH TO 'ON;' AND SAID THAT WE WOULD MOTOR THE ENG FOR 30 SECONDS. SHORTLY AFTER PLACING THE START SWITCH TO 'ON;' THE EGT RAPIDLY ROSE. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE FUEL LEVER IN THE 'ON' POS. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT IT TO 'OFF' AS I SAW 530 DEGS C AND RISING ON THE EGT. THE EGT DROPPED RAPIDLY. I NOTED NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS AT THIS POINT AND TOLD THE FO WE NEEDED TO GO BACK TO THE GATE. BACK AT THE GATE WE MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY AND GAVE THE ACFT TO MAINT. MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS WERE THE INTERRUPTIONS IN THE START SEQUENCE BY TWR AND FLT ATTENDANTS. PERHAPS I SHOULD TELL MY FO'S FROM NOW ON THAT WHEN THEY START ENGS; I'LL TAKE THE RADIOS; THEY CAN FOCUS ON THE START. FINALLY; CHKLIST DISCIPLINE! THERE IS AN 'ABORTED START' CHKLIST THAT WOULD HAVE DIRECTED US TO THE FUEL LEVER; AS WELL AS MADE US PULL BACK FROM OUR 'GO MODE.' I'VE NEVER; NEVER GONE ASTRAY FOLLOWING A CHKLIST!