B747-400 engine shut down at cruise altitude over the pacific resulted in a divert landing.

Attributes
ACN	291576
Time
Date	199412
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : nud
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific enroute airway : zoa
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	291576
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We were flying from hong kong to lax. After flying for about 6 hours, most of it with over 150 KT tailwind. As we passed about 170 degrees east an engine started to vibrate badly and the egt (#3) increased rapidly. Narita japan was the closest airport and would seem like the best place to go, but with a 175 KT tailwind and knowing only the distances to anc and hnl, we had to decide where to go in a hurry! Our dispatch said he ran the numbers and recommended a return to narita. After we turned around, he told us he had rerun the numbers and anc was less time away. I think that it would be best to have a 3 engine point of equal time available, not only between 'undesirable' (shemya, adak, etc) airports, where you would only want to go if you had a fire on board or more serious emergency. A pet could be worked out by dispatch while running the flight plan, that would give us some immediate guidance that wouldn't be arrived at in a hurry with the wind blowing us the wrong way as the quick *necessary) decision is made. Our most critical pet that night was shemya (we weren't by shemya yet, but it was close. We landed nrt with 20000 pound of fuel! Just comfortable in a 747! 5 hours after engine secured.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 ENG SHUT DOWN AT CRUISE ALT OVER THE PACIFIC RESULTED IN A DIVERT LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FROM HONG KONG TO LAX. AFTER FLYING FOR ABOUT 6 HRS, MOST OF IT WITH OVER 150 KT TAILWIND. AS WE PASSED ABOUT 170 DEGS E AN ENG STARTED TO VIBRATE BADLY AND THE EGT (#3) INCREASED RAPIDLY. NARITA JAPAN WAS THE CLOSEST ARPT AND WOULD SEEM LIKE THE BEST PLACE TO GO, BUT WITH A 175 KT TAILWIND AND KNOWING ONLY THE DISTANCES TO ANC AND HNL, WE HAD TO DECIDE WHERE TO GO IN A HURRY! OUR DISPATCH SAID HE RAN THE NUMBERS AND RECOMMENDED A RETURN TO NARITA. AFTER WE TURNED AROUND, HE TOLD US HE HAD RERUN THE NUMBERS AND ANC WAS LESS TIME AWAY. I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO HAVE A 3 ENG POINT OF EQUAL TIME AVAILABLE, NOT ONLY BTWN 'UNDESIRABLE' (SHEMYA, ADAK, ETC) ARPTS, WHERE YOU WOULD ONLY WANT TO GO IF YOU HAD A FIRE ON BOARD OR MORE SERIOUS EMER. A PET COULD BE WORKED OUT BY DISPATCH WHILE RUNNING THE FLT PLAN, THAT WOULD GIVE US SOME IMMEDIATE GUIDANCE THAT WOULDN'T BE ARRIVED AT IN A HURRY WITH THE WIND BLOWING US THE WRONG WAY AS THE QUICK *NECESSARY) DECISION IS MADE. OUR MOST CRITICAL PET THAT NIGHT WAS SHEMYA (WE WEREN'T BY SHEMYA YET, BUT IT WAS CLOSE. WE LANDED NRT WITH 20000 LB OF FUEL! JUST COMFORTABLE IN A 747! 5 HRS AFTER ENG SECURED.

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.