Narrative:

On climb out from tokyo's narita airport, I noticed #3 aft boost pump low pressure light. Opened all fuel xfeed manifolds and turned on all boost pumps. Continued climb. At top of climb we had a fuel imbal of 10000 pounds between tanks #2 and #3. #1 and #4 were even, #2 had 48000 pounds, and #3 had 58000 pounds. Discussed problem with captain and first officer. We decided to try and burn fuel out of #3 tank to feed #3 engine and #4 engine using 1 good boost pump in #3 tank. Closed #1 and #2 xfeed valves (making sure boost pumps were on in those tanks). Opened xfeed valves for #3 and #4 tanks. Made sure both boost pumps were on in #3 (aft pump low pressure light still on) then turned off pumps in #4 tank. Monitored engine for 1 1/2 - 2 mins. Noted fuel was not decreasing in #3 tank. Checked fuel gauge. Tested okay. About that time, #4 engine flamed out. Immediately turned on boost pumps in #4 tank and performed engine in-flight restart checklist. Engine started okay. Throughout all procedures first officer flew airplane and handled radios, captain worked with and backed me up. After engine restart, we then used the jettison pumps in #3 tank and the fuel dump valve in center tank to pressurize the xfeed manifold and feed fuel from #3 tank to other engines. System worked as depicted in cockpit operating manual. Flight proceeded uneventfully to destination in hnl. Believe fuel imbal caused by low pressure in #3 tank forward boost pump. Pressure was high enough to keep low pressure light off for the forward pump, but not high enough to overcome pressure provided by pumps in #2 tank. With the #3 aft pump out (maintenance discovered popped circuit breaker in lower electronics) and xfeed manifold valves open, all engines were being fed from #2 tank. When we tried to correct fuel imbal, the 1 pump working in #3 tank (forward) should have provided sufficient pressure to feed both engines #3 and #4. In fact, at FL350, the gravity feed to the engine driven pumps should be sufficient. This was not the case, however, and the engine flamed out. Supplemental information from acn 252000: I suspected a stuck fuel gauge, even though it tested ok. We then set up the fuel panel using the override/jettison system and the #3 fuel gauge quantity started to decrease. The gauge was ok. The pump was bad. In retrospect, I feel we did the proper thing by trouble-shooting our fuel panel while still close to nrt. However, had we used the jettison/override system first, we would not have flamed out the engine. We would have discovered the quantity gauge was working and for some reason the #3 forward low pressure light was not working. I'm reluctant to use alternate procedures until the primary procedures don't work.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF ONE TANK FUEL PUMP COUPLED WITH REDUCED OUTPUT FROM THE OTHER PUMP CAUSES AN ENG TO FLAME OUT.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM TOKYO'S NARITA ARPT, I NOTICED #3 AFT BOOST PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT. OPENED ALL FUEL XFEED MANIFOLDS AND TURNED ON ALL BOOST PUMPS. CONTINUED CLB. AT TOP OF CLB WE HAD A FUEL IMBAL OF 10000 LBS BTWN TANKS #2 AND #3. #1 AND #4 WERE EVEN, #2 HAD 48000 LBS, AND #3 HAD 58000 LBS. DISCUSSED PROB WITH CAPT AND FO. WE DECIDED TO TRY AND BURN FUEL OUT OF #3 TANK TO FEED #3 ENG AND #4 ENG USING 1 GOOD BOOST PUMP IN #3 TANK. CLOSED #1 AND #2 XFEED VALVES (MAKING SURE BOOST PUMPS WERE ON IN THOSE TANKS). OPENED XFEED VALVES FOR #3 AND #4 TANKS. MADE SURE BOTH BOOST PUMPS WERE ON IN #3 (AFT PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT STILL ON) THEN TURNED OFF PUMPS IN #4 TANK. MONITORED ENG FOR 1 1/2 - 2 MINS. NOTED FUEL WAS NOT DECREASING IN #3 TANK. CHKED FUEL GAUGE. TESTED OKAY. ABOUT THAT TIME, #4 ENG FLAMED OUT. IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON BOOST PUMPS IN #4 TANK AND PERFORMED ENG INFLT RESTART CHKLIST. ENG STARTED OKAY. THROUGHOUT ALL PROCS FO FLEW AIRPLANE AND HANDLED RADIOS, CAPT WORKED WITH AND BACKED ME UP. AFTER ENG RESTART, WE THEN USED THE JETTISON PUMPS IN #3 TANK AND THE FUEL DUMP VALVE IN CTR TANK TO PRESSURIZE THE XFEED MANIFOLD AND FEED FUEL FROM #3 TANK TO OTHER ENGS. SYS WORKED AS DEPICTED IN COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL. FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO DEST IN HNL. BELIEVE FUEL IMBAL CAUSED BY LOW PRESSURE IN #3 TANK FORWARD BOOST PUMP. PRESSURE WAS HIGH ENOUGH TO KEEP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT OFF FOR THE FORWARD PUMP, BUT NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO OVERCOME PRESSURE PROVIDED BY PUMPS IN #2 TANK. WITH THE #3 AFT PUMP OUT (MAINT DISCOVERED POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER IN LOWER ELECTRONICS) AND XFEED MANIFOLD VALVES OPEN, ALL ENGS WERE BEING FED FROM #2 TANK. WHEN WE TRIED TO CORRECT FUEL IMBAL, THE 1 PUMP WORKING IN #3 TANK (FORWARD) SHOULD HAVE PROVIDED SUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO FEED BOTH ENGS #3 AND #4. IN FACT, AT FL350, THE GRAVITY FEED TO THE ENG DRIVEN PUMPS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE, HOWEVER, AND THE ENG FLAMED OUT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 252000: I SUSPECTED A STUCK FUEL GAUGE, EVEN THOUGH IT TESTED OK. WE THEN SET UP THE FUEL PANEL USING THE OVERRIDE/JETTISON SYS AND THE #3 FUEL GAUGE QUANTITY STARTED TO DECREASE. THE GAUGE WAS OK. THE PUMP WAS BAD. IN RETROSPECT, I FEEL WE DID THE PROPER THING BY TROUBLE-SHOOTING OUR FUEL PANEL WHILE STILL CLOSE TO NRT. HOWEVER, HAD WE USED THE JETTISON/OVERRIDE SYS FIRST, WE WOULD NOT HAVE FLAMED OUT THE ENG. WE WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE QUANTITY GAUGE WAS WORKING AND FOR SOME REASON THE #3 FORWARD LOW PRESSURE LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING. I'M RELUCTANT TO USE ALTERNATE PROCS UNTIL THE PRIMARY PROCS DON'T WORK.

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.