B737 FLT CREW ABORTS ENG START ON PUSHBACK DUE TO THRUST LEVERS SET TO HIGH.

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STARTED #2 ENG DURING PUSHBACK AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. #2 ENG CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND I SUSPECTED A RUNAWAY ENG AND MOVED THE START LEVER TO 'CUTOFF.' FO AND JUMPSEATER NOTICED THE THROTTLES ABOVE IDLE AND MOVED THEM TO IDLE (2-3 INCHES FORWARD OF IDLE). NO LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED AND NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES RESULTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 693943: I WAS A JUMPSEATER ON THIS FLT. BEFORE START CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED AND THE PUSH WAS JUST ABOUT COMPLETE WHEN THE CAPT STARTED THE #2 ENG. I WAS STILL PLUGGING IN MY HEADSET WHEN I HEARD THE ENG BEGIN TO SPOOL UP FAR BEYOND NORMAL IDLE. I GLANCED AT THE CAPT AND THEN THE FO SAID; 'WHAT'S GOING ON?' I THEN SAW BOTH THRUST LEVERS AT MID-QUADRANT. I REACHED UP OVER THE CONSOLE AND GRABBED BOTH THRUST LEVERS BRINGING THEM TO THE AFT STOP. WHEN THE FO SAW MY HANDS; I WAS JOINED IN THE EFFORT. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THE CAPT GRABBED THE START LEVER AND SHUT THE ENG DOWN. NO ENG LIMITATIONS WERE EXCEEDED. SOME DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE CAPT AND THE MARSHALLER TOOK PLACE THEN HE STARTED THE #1 ENG FOLLOWED AGAIN BY THE #2. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE TALKED ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND DEBRIEFED WHAT LINK CAUSED THE ERROR AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT IN THE FUTURE. INTERESTINGLY; WE ALL ASSESSED THE PROB DIFFERENTLY. THE CAPT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE ENG TO RACE AND WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE AT THE TIME; BUT FELT THAT SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. THE FO THOUGHT THAT THE ENG WAS A RUNAWAY AND FOCUSED ON THE ENG GAUGES. TO ME IT WAS REMINISCENT OF THE TIMES STUDENTS OF MINE STARTED AN ENG WITH THE THROTTLE TOO FAR ADVANCED FOR START SO I FOCUSED ON THE THRUST LEVER POSITION. REGARDLESS; IT IS A LESSON FOR EVERYONE TO CHECK AND CROSSCHECK. THESE PLTS ARE SOME OF THE MOST PROFICIENT AND PROFESSIONAL IN THE ORGANIZATION. I FEEL THAT A COLLECTIVE DISTRACTION; FRUSTRATION AND GENERAL MALAISE WITHIN THE PILOT GROUP CAUSED BY FACTORS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE PLTS IS A PRIMARY CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS AND OTHER RECENT INCIDENTS.