Narrative:

This was the second leg of a 3 leg trip. First officer's leg. Shortly after takeoff at FL350 a problem was noted with the #1 engine CSD. The aircraft log was reviewed for a previous write- up, circuit protection was checked and appropriate red tag checklist was pulled out. Prior to running checklist, a loud pop, chug, yaw, vibration was heard/felt. #1 engine had rolled back and surging back and forth. #1 engine CSD was directed to be disconnected. Then #3 was noticed to have rolled back and also was surging. I directed the engineer to go off xfeed operation to normal tank to engine feed. I retarded #1 and #3 thrust levers to idle as I declared an emergency with ZKC and initiated a descent to FL310. A shallow descent was begun. The engines smoothed out as #3 stabilized at idle power while #1 decayed to windmilling RPM. We stated our intention to return to mci and received a vector. Engine failure checklist accomplished on #1 and later air start checklist was accomplished (re-lit successfully). Possible fuel contamination. We decided to divert to ict which was closer and like mci had long runway, southerly winds and clear WX. Upon leveling at FL240 power on #1 and #3 engines was smoothly increased. Engine performance seemed normal. Normal descent to landing was accomplished at this point. A VFR approach to runway 19R backed up by the ics was flown by the captain on all 3 engines. ATC provided excellent support. Fire fighting equipment was standing by upon our arrival. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the so was new and analyst discussed the importance of fuel balance prior to takeoff. The reporter said the situation at leveloff at FL350 was #1 and #3 engine boost pumps off and fuel xfeed valves were open and feeding all engines from #2 tank. The reporter stated a #1 engine constant speed drive low pressure warning light was flickering intermittently and they started the checklist to disconnect. At this time the #1 engine rolled back and was surging, then #3 engine began surging. The reporter directed the so to feed the engines tank to engine. The reporter said at this point an emergency was declared. The reporter states #3 engine stabilized at idle power but #1 engine was windmilling but was restarted. Power was returned to normal and a normal landing was made. The reporter said maintenance made an extensive check of the fuel system but could not find any defective component and the test flight was normal. The reporter states the results or conclusion of the company investigation was fuel mismgmnt and the belief that the xfeed valves were closed the boost pumps for #1 and #3 tanks were off and the engine driven fuel pumps would not adequately suction fuel from these tanks at FL350. Callback conversation with reporter acn 382116 revealed the following information: the reporter stated it is procedure to turn off the #1 and #3 tank boost pumps after reaching 1000 ft altitude and feed all engines with the center fuel tank. The reporter states maintenance replaced fuel filters and made fuel feed checks and the flight test was ok. The reporter said the so was retrained and rest of the crew was returned to the line. Callback conversation with reporter acn 382117 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the conclusion of the company investigation was that the reporter closed the #1 and #3 xfeed valves and did not turn on the #1 and #3 tank boost pumps causing fuel starvation of the engines.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 ON LEVELOFF FL350 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO LOSS OF PWR IN #1 AND #3 ENGS CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE SECOND LEG OF A 3 LEG TRIP. FO'S LEG. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AT FL350 A PROB WAS NOTED WITH THE #1 ENG CSD. THE ACFT LOG WAS REVIEWED FOR A PREVIOUS WRITE- UP, CIRCUIT PROTECTION WAS CHKED AND APPROPRIATE RED TAG CHKLIST WAS PULLED OUT. PRIOR TO RUNNING CHKLIST, A LOUD POP, CHUG, YAW, VIBRATION WAS HEARD/FELT. #1 ENG HAD ROLLED BACK AND SURGING BACK AND FORTH. #1 ENG CSD WAS DIRECTED TO BE DISCONNECTED. THEN #3 WAS NOTICED TO HAVE ROLLED BACK AND ALSO WAS SURGING. I DIRECTED THE ENGINEER TO GO OFF XFEED OP TO NORMAL TANK TO ENG FEED. I RETARDED #1 AND #3 THRUST LEVERS TO IDLE AS I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZKC AND INITIATED A DSCNT TO FL310. A SHALLOW DSCNT WAS BEGUN. THE ENGS SMOOTHED OUT AS #3 STABILIZED AT IDLE PWR WHILE #1 DECAYED TO WINDMILLING RPM. WE STATED OUR INTENTION TO RETURN TO MCI AND RECEIVED A VECTOR. ENG FAILURE CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED ON #1 AND LATER AIR START CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED (RE-LIT SUCCESSFULLY). POSSIBLE FUEL CONTAMINATION. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ICT WHICH WAS CLOSER AND LIKE MCI HAD LONG RWY, SOUTHERLY WINDS AND CLR WX. UPON LEVELING AT FL240 PWR ON #1 AND #3 ENGS WAS SMOOTHLY INCREASED. ENG PERFORMANCE SEEMED NORMAL. NORMAL DSCNT TO LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT THIS POINT. A VFR APCH TO RWY 19R BACKED UP BY THE ICS WAS FLOWN BY THE CAPT ON ALL 3 ENGS. ATC PROVIDED EXCELLENT SUPPORT. FIRE FIGHTING EQUIP WAS STANDING BY UPON OUR ARR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SO WAS NEW AND ANALYST DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF FUEL BAL PRIOR TO TKOF. THE RPTR SAID THE SIT AT LEVELOFF AT FL350 WAS #1 AND #3 ENG BOOST PUMPS OFF AND FUEL XFEED VALVES WERE OPEN AND FEEDING ALL ENGS FROM #2 TANK. THE RPTR STATED A #1 ENG CONSTANT SPD DRIVE LOW PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS FLICKERING INTERMITTENTLY AND THEY STARTED THE CHKLIST TO DISCONNECT. AT THIS TIME THE #1 ENG ROLLED BACK AND WAS SURGING, THEN #3 ENG BEGAN SURGING. THE RPTR DIRECTED THE SO TO FEED THE ENGS TANK TO ENG. THE RPTR SAID AT THIS POINT AN EMER WAS DECLARED. THE RPTR STATES #3 ENG STABILIZED AT IDLE PWR BUT #1 ENG WAS WINDMILLING BUT WAS RESTARTED. PWR WAS RETURNED TO NORMAL AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. THE RPTR SAID MAINT MADE AN EXTENSIVE CHK OF THE FUEL SYS BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY DEFECTIVE COMPONENT AND THE TEST FLT WAS NORMAL. THE RPTR STATES THE RESULTS OR CONCLUSION OF THE COMPANY INVESTIGATION WAS FUEL MISMGMNT AND THE BELIEF THAT THE XFEED VALVES WERE CLOSED THE BOOST PUMPS FOR #1 AND #3 TANKS WERE OFF AND THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMPS WOULD NOT ADEQUATELY SUCTION FUEL FROM THESE TANKS AT FL350. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 382116 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IT IS PROC TO TURN OFF THE #1 AND #3 TANK BOOST PUMPS AFTER REACHING 1000 FT ALT AND FEED ALL ENGS WITH THE CTR FUEL TANK. THE RPTR STATES MAINT REPLACED FUEL FILTERS AND MADE FUEL FEED CHKS AND THE FLT TEST WAS OK. THE RPTR SAID THE SO WAS RETRAINED AND REST OF THE CREW WAS RETURNED TO THE LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 382117 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CONCLUSION OF THE COMPANY INVESTIGATION WAS THAT THE RPTR CLOSED THE #1 AND #3 XFEED VALVES AND DID NOT TURN ON THE #1 AND #3 TANK BOOST PUMPS CAUSING FUEL STARVATION OF THE ENGS.

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.