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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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B747-200 FL390 en route nrt. So balancing fuel. Distraction by captain leaving cockpit turned off #3 fuel boost pump with the xfeed closed resulting in flameout of #3 engine. Attempted relight but requested clearance to descend and had a successful relight at FL250. Landed normal nrt.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 350511 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199610 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : nrt |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 39000 msl bound upper : 39000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : rjtg |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 14850 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 350511 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 350515 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The #3 engine flamed out at FL390 in clear air and level flight. While trying to balance a minor fuel imbal of 200 pounds between the #3 and #4 fuel tanks, the #3 fuel boost pumps were turned off while the #3 xfeed valve was also closed. During the act of attempting to balance the fuel the small distraction of the captain getting up to go to the restroom, and the so having to move his seat for the captain to get by was contributing factor. At that moment, the engine flamed out. The boost pumps were immediately turned on but the engine just kept spooling down. We were in radar contact so we requested descent to FL250. At FL250 we restarted the engine, had a normal relight and the engine remained normal for the remainder of the flight. Tokyo control was advised that we were operating normal and no further assistance was required. Made a normal landing. The flight was from sfo to nrt and the event occurred 10+ hours into an 11 hour 20 min flight, with a single crew. This mistake could have been much more serious had it happened closer to the midpoint of the flight rather than near the end.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B747-200 FL390 ENRTE NRT. SO BALANCING FUEL. DISTR BY CAPT LEAVING COCKPIT TURNED OFF #3 FUEL BOOST PUMP WITH THE XFEED CLOSED RESULTING IN FLAMEOUT OF #3 ENG. ATTEMPTED RELIGHT BUT REQUESTED CLRNC TO DSND AND HAD A SUCCESSFUL RELIGHT AT FL250. LANDED NORMAL NRT.
Narrative: THE #3 ENG FLAMED OUT AT FL390 IN CLR AIR AND LEVEL FLT. WHILE TRYING TO BAL A MINOR FUEL IMBAL OF 200 LBS BTWN THE #3 AND #4 FUEL TANKS, THE #3 FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE TURNED OFF WHILE THE #3 XFEED VALVE WAS ALSO CLOSED. DURING THE ACT OF ATTEMPTING TO BAL THE FUEL THE SMALL DISTR OF THE CAPT GETTING UP TO GO TO THE RESTROOM, AND THE SO HAVING TO MOVE HIS SEAT FOR THE CAPT TO GET BY WAS CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. AT THAT MOMENT, THE ENG FLAMED OUT. THE BOOST PUMPS WERE IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON BUT THE ENG JUST KEPT SPOOLING DOWN. WE WERE IN RADAR CONTACT SO WE REQUESTED DSCNT TO FL250. AT FL250 WE RESTARTED THE ENG, HAD A NORMAL RELIGHT AND THE ENG REMAINED NORMAL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. TOKYO CTL WAS ADVISED THAT WE WERE OPERATING NORMAL AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS REQUIRED. MADE A NORMAL LNDG. THE FLT WAS FROM SFO TO NRT AND THE EVENT OCCURRED 10+ HRS INTO AN 11 HR 20 MIN FLT, WITH A SINGLE CREW. THIS MISTAKE COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS HAD IT HAPPENED CLOSER TO THE MIDPOINT OF THE FLT RATHER THAN NEAR THE END.
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.