Flight crew of MD11 on oceanic flight inadvertently shuts off fuel to the #2 engine. Delays, divert,...

Attributes
ACN	377630
Time
Date	199707
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hnl
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	377630
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While in cruise flight about 5 hours west of honolulu the #2 (tail) engine was inadvertently shut down while trying to balance the fuel load by fuel starvation. The engine was restarted and the flight continued to honolulu without any problems. Contributing factors: 1) a very long duty day. Even though we had a 4TH pilot and we were good for over 12 hours of flight time, we had all been on duty for over 15 hours at the time of the event. 2) extended night flight in IMC overwater conditions in and around typhoon. 3) an in-flight call to return to point of origin for FAA security concerns, followed by a call to divert to guam. 4) an NDB approach to minimums in typhoon conditions at 2 hours prior to dawn. 7 hours into the flight. 5) a 4 hour ground delay for passenger security screening due to FAA concerns in guam. 6) due to a fuel pump failure we were operating the fuel system in the manual mode to trap as much fuel as possible in the tail tank for center of gravity concerns. It is very rare that we operate any system in manual other than in training. While in manual you must keep the fuel balanced yourself as no automatic assistance is available. Due mostly to fatigue we selected the one push button which turns off all the pumps to the #2 engine rather than selecting the one push button next to it which turns on the xfer pump in the #2 tank. The flight originated in manila scheduled to honolulu which diverted to guam and then continued to honolulu.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MD11 ON OCEANIC FLT INADVERTENTLY SHUTS OFF FUEL TO THE #2 ENG. DELAYS, DIVERT, FUEL PUMP FAILURE LEADING TO MANUAL FUEL XFER ALL PART OF THE PROB.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT ABOUT 5 HRS W OF HONOLULU THE #2 (TAIL) ENG WAS INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN WHILE TRYING TO BAL THE FUEL LOAD BY FUEL STARVATION. THE ENG WAS RESTARTED AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO HONOLULU WITHOUT ANY PROBS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) A VERY LONG DUTY DAY. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A 4TH PLT AND WE WERE GOOD FOR OVER 12 HRS OF FLT TIME, WE HAD ALL BEEN ON DUTY FOR OVER 15 HRS AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT. 2) EXTENDED NIGHT FLT IN IMC OVERWATER CONDITIONS IN AND AROUND TYPHOON. 3) AN INFLT CALL TO RETURN TO POINT OF ORIGIN FOR FAA SECURITY CONCERNS, FOLLOWED BY A CALL TO DIVERT TO GUAM. 4) AN NDB APCH TO MINIMUMS IN TYPHOON CONDITIONS AT 2 HRS PRIOR TO DAWN. 7 HRS INTO THE FLT. 5) A 4 HR GND DELAY FOR PAX SECURITY SCREENING DUE TO FAA CONCERNS IN GUAM. 6) DUE TO A FUEL PUMP FAILURE WE WERE OPERATING THE FUEL SYS IN THE MANUAL MODE TO TRAP AS MUCH FUEL AS POSSIBLE IN THE TAIL TANK FOR CTR OF GRAVITY CONCERNS. IT IS VERY RARE THAT WE OPERATE ANY SYS IN MANUAL OTHER THAN IN TRAINING. WHILE IN MANUAL YOU MUST KEEP THE FUEL BALANCED YOURSELF AS NO AUTOMATIC ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE. DUE MOSTLY TO FATIGUE WE SELECTED THE ONE PUSH BUTTON WHICH TURNS OFF ALL THE PUMPS TO THE #2 ENG RATHER THAN SELECTING THE ONE PUSH BUTTON NEXT TO IT WHICH TURNS ON THE XFER PUMP IN THE #2 TANK. THE FLT ORIGINATED IN MANILA SCHEDULED TO HONOLULU WHICH DIVERTED TO GUAM AND THEN CONTINUED TO HONOLULU.

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.

Flight crew of MD11 on oceanic flight inadvertently shuts off fuel to the #2 engine. Delays, divert, fuel pump failure leading to manual fuel xfer all part of the problem.