A FLT ATTENDANT NOTICES FLASHING LIGHT; SIMILAR TO ST ELMO'S FIRE; IN THE INLET AREA OF #2 ENG; THAT ONLY OCCURRED AT HIGHER THRUST SETTINGS. THIS ACFT HAD V2500 ENGINES.

Narrative

FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED FLASHING LIGHT IN THE AREA OF #2 ENG FAN. FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED VIA INTERPHONE. WE HAD AN AIRLINE JUMPSEATER RIDING IN BACK; AND I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO HAVE HIM TAKE A LOOK. THE JUMPSEATER AND I SPOKE VIA INTERPHONE; AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT LOOKED SOMETHING LIKE ST ELMO'S FIRE COMING FROM THE 8 O'CLOCK POS AS YOU LOOK INTO THE ENG INLET. WE HAD NO ABNORMAL ENG INDICATIONS; AND WE WERE NOT FLYING IN CLOUD OR PRECIP. HE SAID HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE AN IGNITER SPARKING; BUT THAT SOUNDED UNLIKELY TO ME. THE L ENG WAS EXHIBITING NO SUCH PHENOMENON. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH WITH A MESSAGE FOR MAINT. WE WERE CLOSE TO OUR TOP-OF-DSCNT POINT AND HAD NO ABNORMAL ENG INDICATION; SO WE PROCEEDED WITH A NORMAL DSCNT AND LNDG. WROTE UP DISCREPANCY IN MAINT LOG. ON ARR; I ADVISED THE OPS AGENT TO MAKE SURE MAINT PERSONNEL CAME. I PERFORMED A POSTFLT WALKAROUND; AND IT LOOKED TO ME LIKE THERE WAS AN AREA IN THE COMPOSITE INLET MATERIAL WHERE THE FAN MAY HAVE RUBBED. IT ALSO LOOKED LIKE IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE SITE OF A PREVIOUS REPAIR (AS THE JUMPSEATER SAID; IT WAS AT THE 8 O'CLOCK POS LOOKING INTO THE INLET). AS THE JUMPSEATER WAS LEAVING; HE ADVISED THAT THE 'FLASHING' ONLY OCCURRED AT HIGHER THRUST SETTINGS. I BELIEVE THE FAN MAY HAVE BEEN CONTACTING THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL IN THE ENG INLET.