95 % of my B206B-3 flying is in the left seat, saved a hot start a few weeks ago, when the student started by watching the TQ gauge instead of the N1 gauge on about his 10th start..., so when I saw 15% N1 come up I prompted him to open the throttle to gnd idle. He did, but still not seeing no "N1" indication, he then decided to take his finger off the start button as she lit up, I had my forefinger and middle finger ready and saved the TOT from runnaway.
A few weeks later I'm sitting flying RH seat, so now again using fore finger, but now lightly on the idle gate button, middle finger on the start...why would I have thought this a problem
! So at 15% I open the throttle, then problem, gate button does not pop up, so as I try close the throttle to idle against the gate, it goes through and she shuts down, I think that odd, couldn't have opened it enough, go again, shuts down again, in that instant, realise what has happened and shut down aborting the start, by closing throttle venting to 15%. At this stage she had only just lit up, not higher than about 400 deg.
So what do I do, practice the idle gate button and as it has been known to be sticky on this aircraft, get it working. This must have got some residual fuel ino the engine. TOT was way down at about 100 deg, so decided to start, again starter button on to 15%, open throttle, good, gate button now working, but... It went all pear shaped. As she lit up and I saw the rate the TOT needl was moving around the gauge, I knew I was in trouble, desperately pressed the idle gate button shut off the trottle but in doing so, momentarily and fatally released the starter button under my middle finger, my reversed forefinger and middle finger allowing muscle memory to take over...927-1066 deg for 2 seconds...cooked. Could not believe it and how angry and bad I felt. Still waiting to hear the final cost. Needless to say, expect no Christmas card from the boss this year...
Should have vented once more and waited 10 minutes. Should have used what I do now in the RH seat, right hand thumb on starter button, Left hand operating throttle and idle gate button.....When I exercised the miserable idle gate button she must have been slowly turning to get some residual fuel into the engine. As far as I know even with booster pumps on, just opening the throttle should not get fuel into the engine unless the engine fuel pump is turning somehow before start.
Why in all these years has that B206B-3 silly spring loaded start button not been replaced with a guarded switch, that you can flick on with your thumb and know that the starter will run no matter what? All you need is one of the spare amber caution lights to be plumbed into the starter circuit to come on at selecting start showing you you have a live starter motor? Probably because Rolls Royce say, what, and loose us a guranteed 1/2 million odd dollars a year in world wide hot starts...
Yeah thanks a lot.