Narrative:

On departure out of 2200 ft, the #3 engine quit. The red box items were done, and I leveled at 2500 ft. I gave the aircraft to the first officer, and he told ATC we wanted to continue on a 120 degree heading at 2500 ft. The so and I proceeded with the fire, damage, shutdown checklist. During the checklist, I saw the #3 fuel shut-off switch in the 'off' position. We then determined that the so had his pen in the palm of his hand when he started to xfeed out of #2 tank. As he shut off the #3 boost pumps, the tip of the pen hit the fuel shut-off switch, but he was unaware of it at the time. Since I knew exactly why the engine quit, I elected to do the engine restart checklist, and continue on to gua. All engine gauges were in the normal range. The restart was uneventful. The engine was shut down for approximately 4 mins. I called dispatch and told her the situation, and that the crew felt everything was back to normal and that we were going to gua. She agreed with me. Later after leveloff I got air carrier technician on a phone patch and told him the same as I told dispatch. I made an entry in the aircraft logbook stating the same. Supplemental information from acn 411252: on climb out from mia after aircraft clean-up I went to feed fuel from the center tank. I had my pen in hand and as I shut off the #3 engine boost pumps my pen must have hit the #3 shut- off switch. The #3 engine wound down. After analyzing the situation the captain made the decision to restart the engine. The engine restarted normally and we proceeded to gua. Needless to say I shall not have a pen in hand while using the fuel panel in the future.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW HAD #3 ENG FAIL DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative: ON DEP OUT OF 2200 FT, THE #3 ENG QUIT. THE RED BOX ITEMS WERE DONE, AND I LEVELED AT 2500 FT. I GAVE THE ACFT TO THE FO, AND HE TOLD ATC WE WANTED TO CONTINUE ON A 120 DEG HDG AT 2500 FT. THE SO AND I PROCEEDED WITH THE FIRE, DAMAGE, SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. DURING THE CHKLIST, I SAW THE #3 FUEL SHUT-OFF SWITCH IN THE 'OFF' POS. WE THEN DETERMINED THAT THE SO HAD HIS PEN IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND WHEN HE STARTED TO XFEED OUT OF #2 TANK. AS HE SHUT OFF THE #3 BOOST PUMPS, THE TIP OF THE PEN HIT THE FUEL SHUT-OFF SWITCH, BUT HE WAS UNAWARE OF IT AT THE TIME. SINCE I KNEW EXACTLY WHY THE ENG QUIT, I ELECTED TO DO THE ENG RESTART CHKLIST, AND CONTINUE ON TO GUA. ALL ENG GAUGES WERE IN THE NORMAL RANGE. THE RESTART WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN FOR APPROX 4 MINS. I CALLED DISPATCH AND TOLD HER THE SIT, AND THAT THE CREW FELT EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO GUA. SHE AGREED WITH ME. LATER AFTER LEVELOFF I GOT ACR TECHNICIAN ON A PHONE PATCH AND TOLD HIM THE SAME AS I TOLD DISPATCH. I MADE AN ENTRY IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK STATING THE SAME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 411252: ON CLBOUT FROM MIA AFTER ACFT CLEAN-UP I WENT TO FEED FUEL FROM THE CTR TANK. I HAD MY PEN IN HAND AND AS I SHUT OFF THE #3 ENG BOOST PUMPS MY PEN MUST HAVE HIT THE #3 SHUT- OFF SWITCH. THE #3 ENG WOUND DOWN. AFTER ANALYZING THE SIT THE CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO RESTART THE ENG. THE ENG RESTARTED NORMALLY AND WE PROCEEDED TO GUA. NEEDLESS TO SAY I SHALL NOT HAVE A PEN IN HAND WHILE USING THE FUEL PANEL IN THE FUTURE.

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.