B747 crew had #4 engine flameout.

Attributes
ACN	469450
Time
Date	200004
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rjbb.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : rjtg.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	469450
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

At cruise FL370 over japan we noticed #4 engine winding down. There was no thrust lever response. Captain disconnected the autoplt as the first officer and I performed the engine failure checklist. While going through the procedure of cleaning up the shutdown, I noticed the #4 xfeed valve was closed and the #4 engine boost pumps off. This was down while doing fuel balancing earlier. After the shutdown was completed, a restart was attempted using the in-flight engine restart checklist. Engine would not start at FL370 and descent to FL330 was requested. During the descent, another restart was attempted, but was unsuccessful. At FL330 another start was made and the engine started normally. No emergency was declared. Total time engine was shut down was approximately 5 mins. Dispatch was notified and proceeded to destination. Possible contributing factor is pilot fatigue. We had completed 3 maximum duty periods in the past 3 days.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CREW HAD #4 ENG FLAMEOUT.

Narrative: AT CRUISE FL370 OVER JAPAN WE NOTICED #4 ENG WINDING DOWN. THERE WAS NO THRUST LEVER RESPONSE. CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AS THE FO AND I PERFORMED THE ENG FAILURE CHKLIST. WHILE GOING THROUGH THE PROC OF CLEANING UP THE SHUTDOWN, I NOTICED THE #4 XFEED VALVE WAS CLOSED AND THE #4 ENG BOOST PUMPS OFF. THIS WAS DOWN WHILE DOING FUEL BALANCING EARLIER. AFTER THE SHUTDOWN WAS COMPLETED, A RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED USING THE INFLT ENG RESTART CHKLIST. ENG WOULD NOT START AT FL370 AND DSCNT TO FL330 WAS REQUESTED. DURING THE DSCNT, ANOTHER RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. AT FL330 ANOTHER START WAS MADE AND THE ENG STARTED NORMALLY. NO EMER WAS DECLARED. TOTAL TIME ENG WAS SHUT DOWN WAS APPROX 5 MINS. DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED AND PROCEEDED TO DEST. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS PLT FATIGUE. WE HAD COMPLETED 3 MAX DUTY PERIODS IN THE PAST 3 DAYS.

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.