Narrative:

During cruise flight, the captain left the cockpit. A short time later the autoplt disengaged and the essential power failure light illuminated. My first impression was that we had lost the #3 generator, so I asked the so if that was the case. At the same time, the captain came back in and asked why all of the emergency exit lights were on in the cabin. The next thing I noticed was that the #3 fuel flow gauge read '0' and that the aircraft was losing speed. At that point I stated that we had lost the #3 engine. All necessary checklists were accomplished and a descent and return to ngo was initiated. The captain said that when he returned to the cockpit he observed both fuel boost pumps in the #3 tank in the off position and the #3 xfeed valve closed on the so's panel. This confign caused the fuel starvation and resulting flameout of the #3 engine. After some discussion, the #3 engine was restarted and a normal landing was accomplished at ngo. All 3 crew members are experienced B-727 pilots. This failure occurred during the phase of flight when the atmosphere in the cockpit is fairly slow and relaxed and during the termination of a lengthy fuel xfeed procedure. The so became distracted during the termination of the xfeed and believed he had accomplished the procedure correctly. Supplemental information from acn 306129: we honestly admitted that we had created our own dilemma, took corrective actions to insure safety, communicated same and corrected the emergency. Contributing to seeming complacency and improper fuel management could be the sense of frustration our so is feeling due to furlough notices received and downsizing, reconfiguring of this airline which is ever ongoing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG FLAMEOUT.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT, THE CAPT LEFT THE COCKPIT. A SHORT TIME LATER THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED AND THE ESSENTIAL PWR FAILURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS THAT WE HAD LOST THE #3 GENERATOR, SO I ASKED THE SO IF THAT WAS THE CASE. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CAPT CAME BACK IN AND ASKED WHY ALL OF THE EMER EXIT LIGHTS WERE ON IN THE CABIN. THE NEXT THING I NOTICED WAS THAT THE #3 FUEL FLOW GAUGE READ '0' AND THAT THE ACFT WAS LOSING SPD. AT THAT POINT I STATED THAT WE HAD LOST THE #3 ENG. ALL NECESSARY CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED AND A DSCNT AND RETURN TO NGO WAS INITIATED. THE CAPT SAID THAT WHEN HE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT HE OBSERVED BOTH FUEL BOOST PUMPS IN THE #3 TANK IN THE OFF POS AND THE #3 XFEED VALVE CLOSED ON THE SO'S PANEL. THIS CONFIGN CAUSED THE FUEL STARVATION AND RESULTING FLAMEOUT OF THE #3 ENG. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION, THE #3 ENG WAS RESTARTED AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT NGO. ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS ARE EXPERIENCED B-727 PLTS. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED DURING THE PHASE OF FLT WHEN THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE COCKPIT IS FAIRLY SLOW AND RELAXED AND DURING THE TERMINATION OF A LENGTHY FUEL XFEED PROC. THE SO BECAME DISTRACTED DURING THE TERMINATION OF THE XFEED AND BELIEVED HE HAD ACCOMPLISHED THE PROC CORRECTLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 306129: WE HONESTLY ADMITTED THAT WE HAD CREATED OUR OWN DILEMMA, TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TO INSURE SAFETY, COMMUNICATED SAME AND CORRECTED THE EMER. CONTRIBUTING TO SEEMING COMPLACENCY AND IMPROPER FUEL MGMNT COULD BE THE SENSE OF FRUSTRATION OUR SO IS FEELING DUE TO FURLOUGH NOTICES RECEIVED AND DOWNSIZING, RECONFIGURING OF THIS AIRLINE WHICH IS EVER ONGOING.

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.