Narrative:

Engine flameout at FL390. At approximately 100 mi south of mia, at FL390 #2 fuel tank fill valve was determined to be inoperative. Off-schedule warning message displayed. Attempted to re- balance fuel tanks in manual with no success. (All xfeeds open), #2 engine flamed out, and a descent commenced havana control notified, and an emergency was declared. Engine was re- started, and a leveloff made at FL310. Normal landing made at mia without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: 'they don't know why the engine flamed out,' says the reporter. It is his understanding that the engine, airframe, and fuel controller manufacturers all have this information. The reporter also understands that this same occurrence happened to a manufacturer's aircraft on a test flight. The reporter was on a rest break when the fuel fill valve acted up. He returned to the cockpit when the check airman and first officer were in the process of solving this problem by going to 'manual' fuel control. The engine quit with no warning. The automatic fuel fill valve came back on line while aircraft was on approach to mia. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information from 303856: the reporter, a check airman, states that failure was related to fsc (fuel system controller). The flight crew received an alert message on the ead, it was a 'fuel schedule warning.' the #2 engine was not receiving fuel, it was 2000 pounds lower than tanks #1 and #3. The fill valve was not working. The MD11 drifted down to FL310 when the engine failed. The flight crew did declare an emergency during descent from FL390. All xfeeds open and restart accomplished at FL310. Reporter was out of the loop for approximately 15 mins, while troubleshooting the problem with company maintenance. Fsc was replaced by maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG FLAME OUT AT 39000 FT.

Narrative: ENG FLAMEOUT AT FL390. AT APPROX 100 MI S OF MIA, AT FL390 #2 FUEL TANK FILL VALVE WAS DETERMINED TO BE INOP. OFF-SCHEDULE WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED. ATTEMPTED TO RE- BALANCE FUEL TANKS IN MANUAL WITH NO SUCCESS. (ALL XFEEDS OPEN), #2 ENG FLAMED OUT, AND A DSCNT COMMENCED HAVANA CTL NOTIFIED, AND AN EMER WAS DECLARED. ENG WAS RE- STARTED, AND A LEVELOFF MADE AT FL310. NORMAL LNDG MADE AT MIA WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: 'THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THE ENG FLAMED OUT,' SAYS THE RPTR. IT IS HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ENG, AIRFRAME, AND FUEL CTLR MANUFACTURERS ALL HAVE THIS INFO. THE RPTR ALSO UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS SAME OCCURRENCE HAPPENED TO A MANUFACTURER'S ACFT ON A TEST FLT. THE RPTR WAS ON A REST BREAK WHEN THE FUEL FILL VALVE ACTED UP. HE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT WHEN THE CHK AIRMAN AND FO WERE IN THE PROCESS OF SOLVING THIS PROB BY GOING TO 'MANUAL' FUEL CTL. THE ENG QUIT WITH NO WARNING. THE AUTOMATIC FUEL FILL VALVE CAME BACK ON LINE WHILE ACFT WAS ON APCH TO MIA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO FROM 303856: THE RPTR, A CHK AIRMAN, STATES THAT FAILURE WAS RELATED TO FSC (FUEL SYS CTLR). THE FLC RECEIVED AN ALERT MESSAGE ON THE EAD, IT WAS A 'FUEL SCHEDULE WARNING.' THE #2 ENG WAS NOT RECEIVING FUEL, IT WAS 2000 LBS LOWER THAN TANKS #1 AND #3. THE FILL VALVE WAS NOT WORKING. THE MD11 DRIFTED DOWN TO FL310 WHEN THE ENG FAILED. THE FLC DID DECLARE AN EMER DURING DSCNT FROM FL390. ALL XFEEDS OPEN AND RESTART ACCOMPLISHED AT FL310. RPTR WAS OUT OF THE LOOP FOR APPROX 15 MINS, WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB WITH COMPANY MAINT. FSC WAS REPLACED BY MAINT.

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.