 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A B747-200 flight crew allows the #4 engine to spin down at FL370 because of fuel starvation when 300 mi from nrt, first officer.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 469689 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200004 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rjaa.airport |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : rjtg.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : pacific enroute airway : g597.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 469689 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 471267 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
At cruise FL370 over japan, we noticed #4 engine winding down. There was no thrust lever response. I disconnected the autoplt as the first officer and so performed the engine fail checklist. While going through the procedure of cleaning up the shutdown, it was noted the xfeed valve and fuel boost pumps for the #4 engine had inadvertently been shut off during an earlier fuel balancing. After the shutdown was complete, a restart was attempted using the in-flight engine restart checklist. Engine would not start at FL370 so requested FL330. During descent, tried another restart, but engine did not respond. At FL330 another start was tried and this time the engine started normally. No emergency was declared. Total time engine was shut down was 5 mins. Notified dispatch of situation and proceeded to destination. Possible contributing factor, pilot fatigue. We had been flying 3 long duty periods in a row.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B747-200 FLC ALLOWS THE #4 ENG TO SPIN DOWN AT FL370 BECAUSE OF FUEL STARVATION WHEN 300 MI FROM NRT, FO.
Narrative: AT CRUISE FL370 OVER JAPAN, WE NOTICED #4 ENG WINDING DOWN. THERE WAS NO THRUST LEVER RESPONSE. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AS THE FO AND SO PERFORMED THE ENG FAIL CHKLIST. WHILE GOING THROUGH THE PROC OF CLEANING UP THE SHUTDOWN, IT WAS NOTED THE XFEED VALVE AND FUEL BOOST PUMPS FOR THE #4 ENG HAD INADVERTENTLY BEEN SHUT OFF DURING AN EARLIER FUEL BALANCING. AFTER THE SHUTDOWN WAS COMPLETE, A RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED USING THE INFLT ENG RESTART CHKLIST. ENG WOULD NOT START AT FL370 SO REQUESTED FL330. DURING DSCNT, TRIED ANOTHER RESTART, BUT ENG DID NOT RESPOND. AT FL330 ANOTHER START WAS TRIED AND THIS TIME THE ENG STARTED NORMALLY. NO EMER WAS DECLARED. TOTAL TIME ENG WAS SHUT DOWN WAS 5 MINS. NOTIFIED DISPATCH OF SIT AND PROCEEDED TO DEST. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, PLT FATIGUE. WE HAD BEEN FLYING 3 LONG DUTY PERIODS IN A ROW.
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.