Narrative:

At 4000 ft, level flight, speed decelerating from about 230 KTS, on final vectoring for ILS to 22L jfk airport, #1 engine flamed out. Performed the 'quick relight' procedure and engine started satisfactorily. The aircraft was a first officer widebody transport which has a mechanic test panel sometimes called the lateral panel. The first officer was providing support while the third relief conducted the approach and landing. The first officer flipped a switch called the 'annunciator light test switch' at the time the engine quit. (There was no call for this action!) on the ground the first officer said he couldn't believe that turning on the aforementioned switch could cause the problem, so I had him try it again -- the engine quit again. This panel is for maintenance only and has no predicated use in flight. As I told the first officer, if you don't know what it is or what it is for, don't mess with it! Fortunately, it only affected 1 engine. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter called back after initial call last week. Post-flight investigation revealed that the bundle of electrical wires located near the engine that include wire channels from the onboard computer through the EICAS and on into the engine controls were chafed. Reporter stated that he heard it was form vibration experienced on this type aircraft or with the large engines employed on the aircraft (a foreign widebody transport, 2 engine.) the panel that was exercised by the first officer on approach was the maintenance control panel, sometimes referred to as the lateral panel on an earlier series model. Reporter hated to think what would happen had the chaffed wires automatic initiated a signal on takeoff or short final. He does not know if this is air carrier or industry wide, but heard rumors to that effect.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN OCCURS AFTER FO, ACTING AS 3RD PLT OBSERVER POS ACTIVATES A GND TEST CIRCUIT CALLED 'ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT TEST SWITCH' WHILE ON RADAR VECTORING FOR APCH.

Narrative: AT 4000 FT, LEVEL FLT, SPD DECELERATING FROM ABOUT 230 KTS, ON FINAL VECTORING FOR ILS TO 22L JFK ARPT, #1 ENG FLAMED OUT. PERFORMED THE 'QUICK RELIGHT' PROC AND ENG STARTED SATISFACTORILY. THE ACFT WAS A FO WDB WHICH HAS A MECH TEST PANEL SOMETIMES CALLED THE LATERAL PANEL. THE FO WAS PROVIDING SUPPORT WHILE THE THIRD RELIEF CONDUCTED THE APCH AND LNDG. THE FO FLIPPED A SWITCH CALLED THE 'ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT TEST SWITCH' AT THE TIME THE ENG QUIT. (THERE WAS NO CALL FOR THIS ACTION!) ON THE GND THE FO SAID HE COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT TURNING ON THE AFOREMENTIONED SWITCH COULD CAUSE THE PROBLEM, SO I HAD HIM TRY IT AGAIN -- THE ENG QUIT AGAIN. THIS PANEL IS FOR MAINT ONLY AND HAS NO PREDICATED USE IN FLT. AS I TOLD THE FO, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS OR WHAT IT IS FOR, DON'T MESS WITH IT! FORTUNATELY, IT ONLY AFFECTED 1 ENG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CALLED BACK AFTER INITIAL CALL LAST WEEK. POST-FLT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE BUNDLE OF ELECTRICAL WIRES LOCATED NEAR THE ENG THAT INCLUDE WIRE CHANNELS FROM THE ONBOARD COMPUTER THROUGH THE EICAS AND ON INTO THE ENG CTLS WERE CHAFED. RPTR STATED THAT HE HEARD IT WAS FORM VIBRATION EXPERIENCED ON THIS TYPE ACFT OR WITH THE LARGE ENGS EMPLOYED ON THE ACFT (A FOREIGN WDB, 2 ENG.) THE PANEL THAT WAS EXERCISED BY THE FO ON APCH WAS THE MAINT CTL PANEL, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE LATERAL PANEL ON AN EARLIER SERIES MODEL. RPTR HATED TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAPPEN HAD THE CHAFFED WIRES AUTO INITIATED A SIGNAL ON TKOF OR SHORT FINAL. HE DOES NOT KNOW IF THIS IS ACR OR INDUSTRY WIDE, BUT HEARD RUMORS TO THAT EFFECT.

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.