An LR24 experiences a double engine flameout when the crew allows the aircraft to fly through the to...

Attributes
ACN	403860
Time
Date	199805
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : evv
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Learjet 24
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	403860
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were returning part 91 from corpus christi to fort wayne. We were cruising at FL410. The trip had been uneventful and relatively quiet. I was occupied filling out paperwork to fill the idle time. This was the first officer's leg. I noticed a flash of light ahead (our first indication of WX) and looked up to see that it looked like we would penetrate the very top clouds of a thunderstorm. We were very nearly in it and I told the first officer to ask for a climb (which we initiated immediately). While it looked like we would be easily above it where we could make a turn and descend back to FL410 we penetrated the very tops of a few clouds. The turbulence (estimated as moderate) flamed out the right motor. We immediately pushed the nose over to maintain airspeed and penetrated several more clouds. Again we encountered moderate turbulence and the left motor flamed out. As we descended into the storm we requested vectors out of it. We were told to keep our initial heading since that would be the quickest way out. The emergency descent was uneventful and we restarted the engines once we came out of the clouds (about FL200). Note: since the WX had been clear and uneventful until I saw the first flash of lightning the radar was not on. (The rapid sequence of events following the observation of the lightning flash made warming up and viewing the radar impractical, and the information provided to us at that point would have been moot anyway.)

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LR24 EXPERIENCES A DOUBLE ENG FLAMEOUT WHEN THE CREW ALLOWS THE ACFT TO FLY THROUGH THE TOP OF AN UNDETECTED TSTM DURING A NIGHT OP. THE ACFT ENCOUNTERS TURB JUST PRIOR TO THE FIRST OF THE ENGS FLAMING OUT. THE ACFT'S RADAR WAS NOT ON.

Narrative: WE WERE RETURNING PART 91 FROM CORPUS CHRISTI TO FORT WAYNE. WE WERE CRUISING AT FL410. THE TRIP HAD BEEN UNEVENTFUL AND RELATIVELY QUIET. I WAS OCCUPIED FILLING OUT PAPERWORK TO FILL THE IDLE TIME. THIS WAS THE FO'S LEG. I NOTICED A FLASH OF LIGHT AHEAD (OUR FIRST INDICATION OF WX) AND LOOKED UP TO SEE THAT IT LOOKED LIKE WE WOULD PENETRATE THE VERY TOP CLOUDS OF A TSTM. WE WERE VERY NEARLY IN IT AND I TOLD THE FO TO ASK FOR A CLB (WHICH WE INITIATED IMMEDIATELY). WHILE IT LOOKED LIKE WE WOULD BE EASILY ABOVE IT WHERE WE COULD MAKE A TURN AND DSND BACK TO FL410 WE PENETRATED THE VERY TOPS OF A FEW CLOUDS. THE TURB (ESTIMATED AS MODERATE) FLAMED OUT THE R MOTOR. WE IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE NOSE OVER TO MAINTAIN AIRSPD AND PENETRATED SEVERAL MORE CLOUDS. AGAIN WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB AND THE L MOTOR FLAMED OUT. AS WE DSNDED INTO THE STORM WE REQUESTED VECTORS OUT OF IT. WE WERE TOLD TO KEEP OUR INITIAL HDG SINCE THAT WOULD BE THE QUICKEST WAY OUT. THE EMER DSCNT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE RESTARTED THE ENGS ONCE WE CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS (ABOUT FL200). NOTE: SINCE THE WX HAD BEEN CLR AND UNEVENTFUL UNTIL I SAW THE FIRST FLASH OF LIGHTNING THE RADAR WAS NOT ON. (THE RAPID SEQUENCE OF EVENTS FOLLOWING THE OBSERVATION OF THE LIGHTNING FLASH MADE WARMING UP AND VIEWING THE RADAR IMPRACTICAL, AND THE INFO PROVIDED TO US AT THAT POINT WOULD HAVE BEEN MOOT ANYWAY.)

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.

An LR24 experiences a double engine flameout when the crew allows the aircraft to fly through the top of an undetected thunderstorm during a night operation. The aircraft encounters turbulence just prior to the first of the engines flaming out. The aircraft's radar was not on.