Narrative:

Aircraft type B747-238 is at FL360 (gross weight 600000 pounds), stable cruise in VMC, #1 EPR and N1 fluctuated. #1 fuel flow 600 pounds/hour (normal fuel flow 6000+ pounds/hour). #1 engine flamed out. Check of flight engineer's panel showed #1 and #4 xfeed valves open, all boost pumps on. Turned off R465, 25 mi to south during driftdown. Attempted relight at FL350, 255 KTS. Engine relight went hot. Terminated relight. (Note: emergency declared 121.5 and via HF to sfo radio.) in-flight engine start attempted at FL330, 280 KTS. Relight successful. Stabilized aircraft FL330 parallel to R465 25 mi south of track. Notified ATC via sfo radio of relight. Requested clearance back on track to sfo. Clearance received to descend to FL300 then direct to costs. Just prior to flameout, so may have attempted to balance #1 and #4 main tanks by turning off boost pumps to #1 engine. Possible cause of flameout might have been failure of fuel equalization valve (failed closed) which would cause fuel starvation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B747-238 DECLARED AN EMER AFTER THE #1 ENG FLAMED OUT DURING CRUISE AND A LOWER ALT RELIGHT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HOWEVER, AFTER FURTHER DSCNT TO LOWER ALT, RELIGHT WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND EMER CANCELED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT TO DEST. SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION CAUSED BY A FAULTY FUEL EQUALIZER VALVE AS CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: ACFT TYPE B747-238 IS AT FL360 (GROSS WT 600000 LBS), STABLE CRUISE IN VMC, #1 EPR AND N1 FLUCTUATED. #1 FUEL FLOW 600 LBS/HR (NORMAL FUEL FLOW 6000+ LBS/HR). #1 ENG FLAMED OUT. CHK OF FE'S PANEL SHOWED #1 AND #4 XFEED VALVES OPEN, ALL BOOST PUMPS ON. TURNED OFF R465, 25 MI TO S DURING DRIFTDOWN. ATTEMPTED RELIGHT AT FL350, 255 KTS. ENG RELIGHT WENT HOT. TERMINATED RELIGHT. (NOTE: EMER DECLARED 121.5 AND VIA HF TO SFO RADIO.) INFLT ENG START ATTEMPTED AT FL330, 280 KTS. RELIGHT SUCCESSFUL. STABILIZED ACFT FL330 PARALLEL TO R465 25 MI S OF TRACK. NOTIFIED ATC VIA SFO RADIO OF RELIGHT. REQUESTED CLRNC BACK ON TRACK TO SFO. CLRNC RECEIVED TO DSND TO FL300 THEN DIRECT TO COSTS. JUST PRIOR TO FLAMEOUT, SO MAY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO BAL #1 AND #4 MAIN TANKS BY TURNING OFF BOOST PUMPS TO #1 ENG. POSSIBLE CAUSE OF FLAMEOUT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FAILURE OF FUEL EQUALIZATION VALVE (FAILED CLOSED) WHICH WOULD CAUSE FUEL STARVATION.

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.