Narrative:

This was the first flight of the day and I accomplished an origination preflight. During climb out, passing 24000 ft 30 NM south of fof VOR the #3 engine flamed out. Accomplished engine failure precautionary shutdown checklist. When we got to step 3, #3 engine fuel shutoff switch close -- we observed the switch was already closed. We suspected a problem with the #3 engine fuel shutoff switch which had been cycled during the origination preflight. After observing N1 and N2 rotation normal oil pressure temperature and quantity indications we restarted the #3 engine using the in-flight restart checklist. Engine restarted normally. Prior to the #3 engine failure I had not reconfigured the fuel panel since the cleanup after takeoff and I was looking forward and not touching the engineer's panel when the engine failed. With all system reinstated to normal and engines operating normally, the captain decided to continue towards sju. The alternative was diverting to fof, the closest airport. He elected not to divert to fof because we had 3 good engines. We were unfamiliar with it: we were overweight for landing. We did not have the WX and were in a non radar environment. Because all was operating normally and the problem did not reoccur, we continued to mia. Uneventfully. There were several suitable alternates along the way to mia where we planned to divert if necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN PROCS INSTITUTED AFTER #3 ENG ON A B- 727 FLAMES OUT IN CLB.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY AND I ACCOMPLISHED AN ORIGINATION PREFLT. DURING CLBOUT, PASSING 24000 FT 30 NM S OF FOF VOR THE #3 ENG FLAMED OUT. ACCOMPLISHED ENG FAILURE PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. WHEN WE GOT TO STEP 3, #3 ENG FUEL SHUTOFF SWITCH CLOSE -- WE OBSERVED THE SWITCH WAS ALREADY CLOSED. WE SUSPECTED A PROB WITH THE #3 ENG FUEL SHUTOFF SWITCH WHICH HAD BEEN CYCLED DURING THE ORIGINATION PREFLT. AFTER OBSERVING N1 AND N2 ROTATION NORMAL OIL PRESSURE TEMP AND QUANTITY INDICATIONS WE RESTARTED THE #3 ENG USING THE INFLT RESTART CHKLIST. ENG RESTARTED NORMALLY. PRIOR TO THE #3 ENG FAILURE I HAD NOT RECONFIGURED THE FUEL PANEL SINCE THE CLEANUP AFTER TKOF AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD AND NOT TOUCHING THE ENGINEER'S PANEL WHEN THE ENG FAILED. WITH ALL SYS REINSTATED TO NORMAL AND ENGS OPERATING NORMALLY, THE CAPT DECIDED TO CONTINUE TOWARDS SJU. THE ALTERNATIVE WAS DIVERTING TO FOF, THE CLOSEST ARPT. HE ELECTED NOT TO DIVERT TO FOF BECAUSE WE HAD 3 GOOD ENGS. WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH IT: WE WERE OVERWT FOR LNDG. WE DID NOT HAVE THE WX AND WERE IN A NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT. BECAUSE ALL WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AND THE PROB DID NOT REOCCUR, WE CONTINUED TO MIA. UNEVENTFULLY. THERE WERE SEVERAL SUITABLE ALTERNATES ALONG THE WAY TO MIA WHERE WE PLANNED TO DIVERT IF NECESSARY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.