AN MD80 CREW WITH AN INOP APU RPTS AN ENG HOT START AFTER THE GND CREW PREMATURELY REMOVED THE AIR CART IN USE.

Narrative

ACR X HAD NO APU; THUS IT REQUIRED AN AIR CART FOR START. THE CART PUT OUT 43 PSI; NO LOAD; AND STABILIZED UNDER LOAD IN THE LOW 30+ PSI RANGE. STARTED R ENG WITHOUT INCIDENT; MAX EGT REACHED ABOUT 390 DEGS C WITH NORMAL START VALVE CLOSURE. THE L ENG START VALVE OPERATED NORMALLY; AND THE ENG ACHIEVED MAX MOTORING OF N2=23.5%; AND N1=06.5%. I ADVANCED THE L FUEL LEVER FOR START AND OBSERVED A NORMAL STARTING FUEL FLOW OF APPROX 600+ PPH. THEN THE GND CREW DISCONNECTED THE AIR CART. BOTH N1 AND N2 RPM DECAYED RAPIDLY; AND EGT PEAKED AND REMAINED AT 560 DEGS C AFTER ABOUT 3-4 SECONDS OF NO AIR FLOW. I COULD NOT CLR THE ENG PER THE QRH; AS THERE WAS NO AIR CART AIR. I DID SHUT OFF THE FUEL LEVER AND IGNITION; AND REVIEWED THE HOT START QRH WITH THE FO. THE GND CREW TOOK ABOUT 2 1/2 MINS TO RECONNECT AND RE-ESTABLISH AIR CART START PRESSURE. WHILE THEY WERE RECONNECTING AND REVVING UP THE AIR CART; THE LEAD GND CREW MEMBER TOLD ME WE HAD A TAIL PIPE FIRE. AGAIN; NO AIR PREVENTED QRH RESPONSE. ONCE AIR PRESSURE WAS RE-ESTABLISHED; I RAN THE CLRING ENG PROC; AND THE TAILPIPE FIRE ABATED; EGT DECREASED TO BELOW 200 DEGS C WITHIN 20 SECONDS OF MOTORING. CONTACTED LINE MAINT; ADVISED OPS AND REQUESTED THE JETWAY BE RECONNECTED TO THE ACFT. CALLED DISPATCH ON MY CELL PHONE AND BRIDGED UP MAINT CTL; THEN WROTE UP THE OBSERVED CONDITIONS IN MAINT LOG. THE NEXT DAY; I RECEIVED A NO-NOTICE LINE CHK RIDE FROM CHK AIRMAN ON THE NEXT SORTIE FLOWN.