Flight crew of a B747-238 declared an emergency after the #1 engine flamed out during cruise and a lower altitude relight was unsuccessful. However, after further descent to lower altitude, relight was accomplished and emergency canceled with no further incident to destination. Suspected fuel starvation caused by a faulty fuel equalizer valve as causal factor.

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Attributes
ACN	413898
Time
Date	199809
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 32500 msl bound upper : 36000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa tower : mtn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific enroute airway : r465 enroute airway : zoa
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 95 flight time total : 30000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	413898
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 25000
ASRS Report	414342
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft type B747-238 is at FL360 (gross weight 600000 pounds), stable cruise in VMC, #1 EPR and N1 fluctuated. #1 fuel flow 600 pounds/hour (normal fuel flow 6000+ pounds/hour). #1 engine flamed out. Check of flight engineer's panel showed #1 and #4 xfeed valves open, all boost pumps on. Turned off R465, 25 mi to south during driftdown. Attempted relight at FL350, 255 KTS. Engine relight went hot. Terminated relight. (Note: emergency declared 121.5 and via HF to sfo radio.) in-flight engine start attempted at FL330, 280 KTS. Relight successful. Stabilized aircraft FL330 parallel to R465 25 mi south of track. Notified ATC via sfo radio of relight. Requested clearance back on track to sfo. Clearance received to descend to FL300 then direct to costs. Just prior to flameout, so may have attempted to balance #1 and #4 main tanks by turning off boost pumps to #1 engine. Possible cause of flameout might have been failure of fuel equalization valve (failed closed) which would cause fuel starvation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B747-238 DECLARED AN EMER AFTER THE #1 ENG FLAMED OUT DURING CRUISE AND A LOWER ALT RELIGHT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. HOWEVER, AFTER FURTHER DSCNT TO LOWER ALT, RELIGHT WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND EMER CANCELED WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT TO DEST. SUSPECTED FUEL STARVATION CAUSED BY A FAULTY FUEL EQUALIZER VALVE AS CAUSAL FACTOR.

Narrative: ACFT TYPE B747-238 IS AT FL360 (GROSS WT 600000 LBS), STABLE CRUISE IN VMC, #1 EPR AND N1 FLUCTUATED. #1 FUEL FLOW 600 LBS/HR (NORMAL FUEL FLOW 6000+ LBS/HR). #1 ENG FLAMED OUT. CHK OF FE'S PANEL SHOWED #1 AND #4 XFEED VALVES OPEN, ALL BOOST PUMPS ON. TURNED OFF R465, 25 MI TO S DURING DRIFTDOWN. ATTEMPTED RELIGHT AT FL350, 255 KTS. ENG RELIGHT WENT HOT. TERMINATED RELIGHT. (NOTE: EMER DECLARED 121.5 AND VIA HF TO SFO RADIO.) INFLT ENG START ATTEMPTED AT FL330, 280 KTS. RELIGHT SUCCESSFUL. STABILIZED ACFT FL330 PARALLEL TO R465 25 MI S OF TRACK. NOTIFIED ATC VIA SFO RADIO OF RELIGHT. REQUESTED CLRNC BACK ON TRACK TO SFO. CLRNC RECEIVED TO DSND TO FL300 THEN DIRECT TO COSTS. JUST PRIOR TO FLAMEOUT, SO MAY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO BAL #1 AND #4 MAIN TANKS BY TURNING OFF BOOST PUMPS TO #1 ENG. POSSIBLE CAUSE OF FLAMEOUT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FAILURE OF FUEL EQUALIZATION VALVE (FAILED CLOSED) WHICH WOULD CAUSE FUEL STARVATION.

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.