Date: 201505
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Light: Dawn
Aircraft: Q400
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Ramp ZZZ
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Ground Personnel
When detected: Aircraft In Service At Gate
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Called the ramper on the push cart with the usual 'Brakes released; I'd like to start 2.' He responded 'Clear on 2.' The First Officer looked over his right shoulder; verified 'clear on 2' and I engaged the starter. The ramper then said something along the lines of 'you are not clear on 2.' This confused me; as he had just said we were clear; so I asked 'You want me to shut it down?' He said yes; so it was an immediate 'Condition Lever-off' and 'start switch-centered.' The starter had been engaged around 5 seconds. The Condition Lever had been in Start/Feather for about 2 seconds. The First Officer and I completed the Engine Start Abort Checklist. When I shut the fuel off; there was no fuel flow and the ITT had not risen. As the propeller was apparently not clear and as no fuel had been introduced into the engine; I elected to not motor the starter to clear the engine. I then said to the ramper; 'I thought you said it was clear' and he responded 'I thought it was.' We were recleared to start engines. I elected to start #1 first. I then started #2; which started normally; verifying - in my estimation - that no fuel was in the engine. We pushed uneventfully and departed.Arriving at the end of the leg; I turned on my cell phone and found a message from an ACP which essentially said 'you started an engine without clearance and a ramper had to run for his life.' I told the First Officer and I then asked him what he recalled of the event. He confirmed that he had heard the ramper say 'Cleared to start 2;' that he had looked over his shoulder; did not see anything unusual; and stated 'clear on 2' and that (after I said to the ramper that I had understood the engine was clear) my First Officer said he also heard the ramper say 'I thought so too.' I am quite certain the ramper on the push cart cleared me to start 2. I have no doubt that the ramper near propeller 2 heard the starter engage. The part about 'run for his life;' um; no. The starter alone will not turn the propeller. I did not note any fuel flow to the engine. The ITT did not rise on that engine and from that I conclude it never lit off. I cannot imagine how the starter could have turned the propeller.As stated above; since the propeller never turned; it didn't seem like much of an issue to me. After the flurry of calls from the Duty Officer; apparently it is. From my perspective it was a normal start - until the ramper told me the propeller was not clear. The First Officer and I responded promptly and appropriately; no one was injured and there was no aircraft damage. I don't know what I could have done differently.




Synopsis: Q400 Captain is advised by the tug driver that he is cleared to start number two engine and the starter is engaged. Within a few seconds the tug driver announces that the engine is not clear and to shut it down. The engine never lit off and the propeller never turned. After arriving at the destination; the Captain has a cell phone message from the Duty Manager indicating that the reporter 'started an engine without clearance and a ramper had to run for his life.'