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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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1 engine of a B727 quit during high altitude cruise, apparently due to fuel starvation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 306627 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199505 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ngo |
| State Reference | FO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : rorg |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 306627 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Xfeed started from left to right tank to balance 200 pounds. Several mins later #3 engine quit. Discovered when essential power lost and autoplt disengaged. Because it took several mins to wind down and supporting instruments to show, we thought initially it was generator failure. Ran engine failure, windmilling engine, and engine start in-flight checklists (3 separate checklists). Returned to ngo for fuel and maintenance inspection. Engine restart normal, inspected ok. 3 possible reasons come to mind. 1) xfeed procedure done incorrectly. Not likely, but possible. I've got 5 yrs and 3000 hours as 727 flight engineer. To go from tank to engine to xfeed means moving each xfeed valve and turning off right boost pumps. Pretty simple. Still, simple things become rote and that leads to complacency. 2) xfeed valve didn't open. A blue light flashes momentarily (less than 1 second) to show valve changes position -- doesn't show position. I don't remember if the light flashed or not. Next time -- all the next times -- I'll make sure light changes even if I have to change it several times to catch it. 3) fuel level was maximum for our weight (was optimal) so the engines were at full power. I suppose the 2 pumps in left tank may not have been able to supply fuel to both engines when we were so high and so heavy. Fuel control? I don't know what happened -- rather why it happened. I do know I'll watch more carefully when I make changes to fuel conditions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 1 ENG OF A B727 QUIT DURING HIGH ALT CRUISE, APPARENTLY DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.
Narrative: XFEED STARTED FROM L TO R TANK TO BAL 200 LBS. SEVERAL MINS LATER #3 ENG QUIT. DISCOVERED WHEN ESSENTIAL PWR LOST AND AUTOPLT DISENGAGED. BECAUSE IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS TO WIND DOWN AND SUPPORTING INSTS TO SHOW, WE THOUGHT INITIALLY IT WAS GENERATOR FAILURE. RAN ENG FAILURE, WINDMILLING ENG, AND ENG START INFLT CHKLISTS (3 SEPARATE CHKLISTS). RETURNED TO NGO FOR FUEL AND MAINT INSPECTION. ENG RESTART NORMAL, INSPECTED OK. 3 POSSIBLE REASONS COME TO MIND. 1) XFEED PROC DONE INCORRECTLY. NOT LIKELY, BUT POSSIBLE. I'VE GOT 5 YRS AND 3000 HRS AS 727 FE. TO GO FROM TANK TO ENG TO XFEED MEANS MOVING EACH XFEED VALVE AND TURNING OFF R BOOST PUMPS. PRETTY SIMPLE. STILL, SIMPLE THINGS BECOME ROTE AND THAT LEADS TO COMPLACENCY. 2) XFEED VALVE DIDN'T OPEN. A BLUE LIGHT FLASHES MOMENTARILY (LESS THAN 1 SECOND) TO SHOW VALVE CHANGES POS -- DOESN'T SHOW POS. I DON'T REMEMBER IF THE LIGHT FLASHED OR NOT. NEXT TIME -- ALL THE NEXT TIMES -- I'LL MAKE SURE LIGHT CHANGES EVEN IF I HAVE TO CHANGE IT SEVERAL TIMES TO CATCH IT. 3) FUEL LEVEL WAS MAX FOR OUR WT (WAS OPTIMAL) SO THE ENGS WERE AT FULL PWR. I SUPPOSE THE 2 PUMPS IN L TANK MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUPPLY FUEL TO BOTH ENGS WHEN WE WERE SO HIGH AND SO HVY. FUEL CTL? I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED -- RATHER WHY IT HAPPENED. I DO KNOW I'LL WATCH MORE CAREFULLY WHEN I MAKE CHANGES TO FUEL CONDITIONS.
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.