Narrative:

This engine type has a frequent history of top-of-descent surge stalls. The airline has implemented a procedure at top of descent to combat any disruption of airflow. The first officer was the PF and ATC had previously given us a clearance to descend from FL360 to 16000 ft at pilot's discretion. We called out of FL360 to 16000 ft and followed the procedure which calls for anti-ice on and fuel heat on prior to beginning descent. The first officer put the aircraft into a descent and retarded the #2 throttle slowly. Engine indications at that point were normal. Then he brought back throttles #1 and #3. We then saw that the #2 egt was at 800 degrees C and stationary. We suspected an engine stall, but had no physical indications (sound or vibrations). We tried to advance the throttle with no response on any engine instruments. We went to the emergency checklist for engine failure and proceeded to shut down the engine. We then performed the in-flight engine restart checklist. The engine started normally and operated normally after start. By this time, the first officer had been cleared by ATC to continue the descent to 10000 ft. We did not advise ATC of the engine shutdown and restart. We were in the arrival phase of the approach and completed the descent and approach checklists while being cleared to descend into the air traffic area. We landed on runway 8L at hnl and taxied in to the gate without further incident. Once in the gate, we reported to maintenance and wrote up the engine flameout in the logbook, filed the required maintenance report and I filed an air safety report as required by the company. What I failed to do was to notify our dispatch of the engine failure as well as not reporting this to ATC. Because of the proximity of the airport and the nature of the problem, I felt it was best to continue to fly the aircraft and go through our published procedures to restart the aircraft. Had the engine not restarted, I would have, of course, notified ATC and dispatch, but I felt that the notifications were secondary to flying the aircraft and getting it safely on the ground.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10-40 ON TOP OF DSCNT AT FL360 HAD #2 ENG SURGE STALL, ENG SHUT DOWN AND RELIT WITH OP NORMAL.

Narrative: THIS ENG TYPE HAS A FREQUENT HISTORY OF TOP-OF-DSCNT SURGE STALLS. THE AIRLINE HAS IMPLEMENTED A PROC AT TOP OF DSCNT TO COMBAT ANY DISRUPTION OF AIRFLOW. THE FO WAS THE PF AND ATC HAD PREVIOUSLY GIVEN US A CLRNC TO DSND FROM FL360 TO 16000 FT AT PLT'S DISCRETION. WE CALLED OUT OF FL360 TO 16000 FT AND FOLLOWED THE PROC WHICH CALLS FOR ANTI-ICE ON AND FUEL HEAT ON PRIOR TO BEGINNING DSCNT. THE FO PUT THE ACFT INTO A DSCNT AND RETARDED THE #2 THROTTLE SLOWLY. ENG INDICATIONS AT THAT POINT WERE NORMAL. THEN HE BROUGHT BACK THROTTLES #1 AND #3. WE THEN SAW THAT THE #2 EGT WAS AT 800 DEGS C AND STATIONARY. WE SUSPECTED AN ENG STALL, BUT HAD NO PHYSICAL INDICATIONS (SOUND OR VIBRATIONS). WE TRIED TO ADVANCE THE THROTTLE WITH NO RESPONSE ON ANY ENG INSTS. WE WENT TO THE EMER CHKLIST FOR ENG FAILURE AND PROCEEDED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG. WE THEN PERFORMED THE INFLT ENG RESTART CHKLIST. THE ENG STARTED NORMALLY AND OPERATED NORMALLY AFTER START. BY THIS TIME, THE FO HAD BEEN CLRED BY ATC TO CONTINUE THE DSCNT TO 10000 FT. WE DID NOT ADVISE ATC OF THE ENG SHUTDOWN AND RESTART. WE WERE IN THE ARR PHASE OF THE APCH AND COMPLETED THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKLISTS WHILE BEING CLRED TO DSND INTO THE ATA. WE LANDED ON RWY 8L AT HNL AND TAXIED IN TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ONCE IN THE GATE, WE RPTED TO MAINT AND WROTE UP THE ENG FLAMEOUT IN THE LOGBOOK, FILED THE REQUIRED MAINT RPT AND I FILED AN AIR SAFETY RPT AS REQUIRED BY THE COMPANY. WHAT I FAILED TO DO WAS TO NOTIFY OUR DISPATCH OF THE ENG FAILURE AS WELL AS NOT RPTING THIS TO ATC. BECAUSE OF THE PROX OF THE ARPT AND THE NATURE OF THE PROB, I FELT IT WAS BEST TO CONTINUE TO FLY THE ACFT AND GO THROUGH OUR PUBLISHED PROCS TO RESTART THE ACFT. HAD THE ENG NOT RESTARTED, I WOULD HAVE, OF COURSE, NOTIFIED ATC AND DISPATCH, BUT I FELT THAT THE NOTIFICATIONS WERE SECONDARY TO FLYING THE ACFT AND GETTING IT SAFELY ON THE GND.

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.