146 engine start-up question

[EDDNHopper]

When in Maun/Botswana 3 weeks ago, I noticed an Air Botswana 146 obviously having some difficulties in running up the 4 engines. No. 1 had started, it took another 10 minutes, than the door opened, an engineer (? - not one of the two pilots anyway) came out, went to the right side of the aircraft, pulled a hose out from near the main undercarriage, connected it to somewhere at the right wing, No. 4 got started, hose was stored back, doors closed, 2 and 3 started after quite a while, and off they went to Gaborone.

Now - as you can clearly see from my post, I have not the slightest idea of how to get a 146 off the ground, but could anybody please give me a rough outline of what the Air Botwana crew was doing??? Any info greatly appreciated, thanks!

Hopper

[fruitloop]

To EDDNHopper
Was it a 100,200 or a 300 ??Sounds to me like battery probs.(DC starters on engines,you need two sources of power,either 2 batteries or 1 and a TR)The "hose"you mention I suspect was actually a cable from a "emergency battery pack" fitted in the hydraulic bay and plugged in just forward of it.There are various configs for Batteries and TR's.The long time before starting 2,3 was more than likely to give the battery charger (not dedicated)time to come back on line and allow starting.
Cheers

[EDDNHopper]

fruitloop,

I guess it was -100. And it was a cable, indeed, not a hose;) .
Thanks for the explanation - not a procedure to be witnessed everyday (or is it?...), on a plane loaded with pax and ready to go, theoretically.

[HZ123]

Can you furnish me with the answer; I would have thought that one engine under power would have provided enough pressure to light the other three or does the 146 not have this facilitity. Either way Air Botswana on this showing would not be my prefered carrier.

[TCASII]

The 146 must have 2 serviceable TRU's to start each engine. I guess one of the TRU's must have been U/s & therfore the only other option is to plug dc directly onto the DC bus bars

[EDDNHopper]

Ok., I can see now why they did it. What strikes me, though, is that you have to MANUALLY bridge DC, i.e. get out, open compartment, plug in, store back, etc.
I am just wondering, taking into account scarce equipment at many small sub-Saharan airfields, i.e. no external ground power avbl. etc. ...

BTW, here is some more information regarding the aircraft in question:
"Botswana's national airline, Air Botswana, acquired its first BAe 146, series 100 A2-ABD msn E1101, in 1989, for use on services to South Africa and other regional destinations. Plan called for the 146 to be used on joint services with other airlines in the region. A second series 100, A2-ABF msn E1160, was acquired in 1991. Cooperation efforts with other regional airlines fell short of expectations, however, and the high debt load the airline had taken on to pay for the 146 caused it significant financial problem. ... One 146 was returned to BAe in 1994, taking advantage of a buy-back clause in the contract. The other, A2-ABD, was leased out. In 2000, A2-ABD was flown to Europe for overhaul and potential sale. After a planned long-term lease to Italian start-up Goldwing Airlines fell through, however, she returned to Gaborone in August 2001 and was placed in storage. Rather than keeping the aircraft idle, however, the airline decided to return her to service. She entered service on April 1, 2002, on the route from Johannesburg to Maun..." (Source: http://www.smiliner.com/operators/a2.shtml ).

Hopper

[rwm]

To: HZ123

The BAE146 does not have an air starter. It has a starter/ generator.

[fruitloop]

RWM
The 146 does have electric starters.inboard engines have hyraulic pumps and the outboard has the generators.
TCAS11,
Correct !Normal start requires 2 tru"s for engines (only 1 required for the apu).As you have stated and are probally correct it possibly had a dud TRU.Due to the various configurations of batteries (1,2 or military specs) and TRU's (2 or 3)any-one could have caused the hiccup.