Narrative:

Passenger notified flight attendant of what appeared to be a small (approximately 2 inches) flame emitting from #1 engine at front edge of engine cowling near pylon. I proceeded aft to confirm suspicion. Could not identify as flame or not -- it was yellow in appearance and flickering. First officer looked at 'flame.' secured bleed air -- no help. Retarded throttle -- no help. Did a precautionary shutdown and passenger/flight attendant advised 'flame' went away -- sucked back into cowl. I went back and confirmed. Flight control contacted -- elected tulsa as divert. Uneventful landing. All engine parameters were normal prior to shutdown. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he went back into the cabin to investigate the flame the passenger reported seeing. He said that it appeared to be a small 2 inch flame where the pylon joined the leading edge of the nose cowl and a few mins later the first officer reconfirmed the sighting. On the ground when the mechanic opened up the engine he said no evidence of fire was found. He stated the company maintenance suggested the flame may have been a reflection from the anti-collision lights. He relates that no information was received from the maintenance department on their findings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN L1011 AT CRUISE DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO FLAME RPTED FROM FORWARD PART OF #1 ENG AT PYLON LEADING EDGE.

Narrative: PAX NOTIFIED FLT ATTENDANT OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SMALL (APPROX 2 INCHES) FLAME EMITTING FROM #1 ENG AT FRONT EDGE OF ENG COWLING NEAR PYLON. I PROCEEDED AFT TO CONFIRM SUSPICION. COULD NOT IDENT AS FLAME OR NOT -- IT WAS YELLOW IN APPEARANCE AND FLICKERING. FO LOOKED AT 'FLAME.' SECURED BLEED AIR -- NO HELP. RETARDED THROTTLE -- NO HELP. DID A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN AND PAX/FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED 'FLAME' WENT AWAY -- SUCKED BACK INTO COWL. I WENT BACK AND CONFIRMED. FLT CTL CONTACTED -- ELECTED TULSA AS DIVERT. UNEVENTFUL LNDG. ALL ENG PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL PRIOR TO SHUTDOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE WENT BACK INTO THE CABIN TO INVESTIGATE THE FLAME THE PAX RPTED SEEING. HE SAID THAT IT APPEARED TO BE A SMALL 2 INCH FLAME WHERE THE PYLON JOINED THE LEADING EDGE OF THE NOSE COWL AND A FEW MINS LATER THE FO RECONFIRMED THE SIGHTING. ON THE GND WHEN THE MECH OPENED UP THE ENG HE SAID NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE WAS FOUND. HE STATED THE COMPANY MAINT SUGGESTED THE FLAME MAY HAVE BEEN A REFLECTION FROM THE ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS. HE RELATES THAT NO INFO WAS RECEIVED FROM THE MAINT DEPT ON THEIR FINDINGS.

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.