AN ACR PAX SVC REP RELEASED PAX ON TO THE RAMP FOR BOARDING AN ACFT ADJACENT TO AN SF340 STARTING ENG. THE ENG START WAS ABORTED WHEN PAX NEARED THE ACFT.

Narrative

AFTER COMPLETING A STARTING ENG CHK; I CLRED THE #2 ENG; THE CAPT THEN GAVE A SIGN TO START ENG #2 AND THE RAMP ATTENDANT GAVE US A NO START HAND SIGNAL. NO START OCCURRED AND WE BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED THE NO START SIGNAL. PAX CROSSED IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT TO BOARD ANOTHER ADJACENT ACFT. WHEN ALL OF THE PAX WERE WELL CLR OF OUR ACFT; OUR RAMP ATTENDANT GAVE US THE SIGN TO START ENG #2. THE CAPT AND I BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED THE SIGN TO START ENG #2; I THEN CLRED THE ENG AREA AND WE BEGAN A MOTORING START ON ENG #2. WITHIN 3 SECONDS WE NOTICED PAX WALKING IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT AND WE BOTH CALLED TO ABORT THE START. NO FUEL WAS INTRODUCED TO THE ENG AND THE ENG START WAS ABORTED. IT IS THE CAPT AND MY RECOLLECTION THAT BOTH OF US AND THE RAMP ATTENDANT SAW THE PAX MOVING IN FRONT OF THE ACFT WITH A TURNING ENG AND WE ALL TOOK STEPS TO IMMEDIATELY STOP THE ENG. IT IS OUR THOUGHT THAT WHOMEVER WAS RELEASING PAX ONTO THE RAMP FAILED TO NOTICE THE ENG STARTING EVENT. WE ALSO FEEL THAT THE CAPT; FO; AND THE RAMP ATTENDANT WERE NOT AT FAULT FOR THIS EVENT.