Narrative:

Engines #2 and #3 flamed out while climbing through FL340 to FL390. It appears to be a fuel starvation problem. The so was xfeeding fuel from the #1 and #4 fuel tanks to the #2 and #3 engines. After the engines flamed out the so turned on the #2 and #3 tank boost pumps and the engines restarted. From the flameouts to the restart took about 1 min. We never lost altitude, but we did level at FL350. After normal tank to engine fuel feed was re-established the #2 and #3 engines operated normally the rest of the flight (next 2 hours). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain called back and stated that the fuel load on departure was 85000 pounds of fuel, so the tanks were balanced to begin with. There was no need to even start a xfeeding operation. He doesn't know why the so was attempting a balance of #1 and #4 tanks. He was not advised that there was to be a balancing operation and said that it should not be done in a climb mode anyway. The so said he had not closed a xfeed prior to the engines flaming out. His airline does not have a policy wherein the so advises the captain prior to a change in the fuel panel setup and feels that there should be some level of coordination. There was an airline safety meeting a week later to discuss this incident. The company feels that it was a low pressure boost pump problem. 3 days prior to this event, the #4 engine flamed out in-flight and they changed fuel filters. A week later after the event there was a boost pump change in either #1 or #4 tank. The company is careful to not have an imbal during ground refueling procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 CLBING THROUGH FL340 LOSES #2 AND #3 ENGS WHILE IN CLB NEAR NAGOYA, JAPAN. THE ACFT HAD BEEN OPERATED WITH #1 AND #4 FEEDING ALL ENGS. THE SO TURNED ON #2 AND #3 BOOST PUMPS AND THE ENGS RESTARTED. ACFT WAS LEVELED AT FL350.

Narrative: ENGS #2 AND #3 FLAMED OUT WHILE CLBING THROUGH FL340 TO FL390. IT APPEARS TO BE A FUEL STARVATION PROB. THE SO WAS XFEEDING FUEL FROM THE #1 AND #4 FUEL TANKS TO THE #2 AND #3 ENGS. AFTER THE ENGS FLAMED OUT THE SO TURNED ON THE #2 AND #3 TANK BOOST PUMPS AND THE ENGS RESTARTED. FROM THE FLAMEOUTS TO THE RESTART TOOK ABOUT 1 MIN. WE NEVER LOST ALT, BUT WE DID LEVEL AT FL350. AFTER NORMAL TANK TO ENG FUEL FEED WAS RE-ESTABLISHED THE #2 AND #3 ENGS OPERATED NORMALLY THE REST OF THE FLT (NEXT 2 HRS). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT THE FUEL LOAD ON DEP WAS 85000 LBS OF FUEL, SO THE TANKS WERE BALANCED TO BEGIN WITH. THERE WAS NO NEED TO EVEN START A XFEEDING OP. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHY THE SO WAS ATTEMPTING A BAL OF #1 AND #4 TANKS. HE WAS NOT ADVISED THAT THERE WAS TO BE A BALANCING OP AND SAID THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE DONE IN A CLB MODE ANYWAY. THE SO SAID HE HAD NOT CLOSED A XFEED PRIOR TO THE ENGS FLAMING OUT. HIS AIRLINE DOES NOT HAVE A POLICY WHEREIN THE SO ADVISES THE CAPT PRIOR TO A CHANGE IN THE FUEL PANEL SETUP AND FEELS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME LEVEL OF COORD. THERE WAS AN AIRLINE SAFETY MEETING A WK LATER TO DISCUSS THIS INCIDENT. THE COMPANY FEELS THAT IT WAS A LOW PRESSURE BOOST PUMP PROB. 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, THE #4 ENG FLAMED OUT INFLT AND THEY CHANGED FUEL FILTERS. A WK LATER AFTER THE EVENT THERE WAS A BOOST PUMP CHANGE IN EITHER #1 OR #4 TANK. THE COMPANY IS CAREFUL TO NOT HAVE AN IMBAL DURING GND REFUELING PROCS.

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.