Narrative:

When I checked in as so for flight from hkg to nrt, there was an MEL sticker that said 'use automatic throttles in approach mode only.' there was no MEL number, date, employee number, or line item deferral or maintenance deferral. I called out maintenance and asked them about this. They said that they would research it. When I came back from my preflight, the sticker was gone. I called out maintenance and asked them what had happened. I had already briefed the captain and maintenance told us both that the system was ok and fully operational. After about 1/2 hour we climbed from FL370 to FL410 in accordance with our flight plan. The automatic throttles had worked fine and after about 10 mins at FL410 the automatic throttles disconnected. The captain told me to check the circuit breakers. I showed the captain that the circuit breakers were in. He instructed me to pull and reset them one time. With the automatic throttles disengaged, I pulled and reset the 2 circuit breakers. The captain then reconnected the automatic throttles. The system seemed to operate normally but after a short period, the throttles were commanded toward idle. The captain disconnected the automatic throttles and pushed the throttle forward. I turned the #2 ignition on continuous for all 4 engines. Engines #2 and #3 advanced to mct and #1 and #4 did not respond to thrust lever movement. The captain told the first officer to request descent to FL370. We received clearance and in the descent I performed communication procedure 'engines not responding to thrust lever movement.' prior to leveling at FL370, command of #1 and #4 was restored. A PA was made to the passenger about an automatic system that required a descent and that all was well. Logbook entries were made, engine reports were filled out, dispatch was notified prior to landing in nrt and a power plant supervisor was briefed. There had been problems with the automatic throttles previously and engine #1 had rolled back in descent at high altitude in september.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-200 CREW HAD AN AUTO THROTTLE MALFUNCTION AT FL410. ENGS #1 AND #4 DID NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE MOVEMENT.

Narrative: WHEN I CHKED IN AS SO FOR FLT FROM HKG TO NRT, THERE WAS AN MEL STICKER THAT SAID 'USE AUTO THROTTLES IN APCH MODE ONLY.' THERE WAS NO MEL NUMBER, DATE, EMPLOYEE NUMBER, OR LINE ITEM DEFERRAL OR MAINT DEFERRAL. I CALLED OUT MAINT AND ASKED THEM ABOUT THIS. THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD RESEARCH IT. WHEN I CAME BACK FROM MY PREFLT, THE STICKER WAS GONE. I CALLED OUT MAINT AND ASKED THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I HAD ALREADY BRIEFED THE CAPT AND MAINT TOLD US BOTH THAT THE SYS WAS OK AND FULLY OPERATIONAL. AFTER ABOUT 1/2 HR WE CLBED FROM FL370 TO FL410 IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR FLT PLAN. THE AUTO THROTTLES HAD WORKED FINE AND AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS AT FL410 THE AUTO THROTTLES DISCONNECTED. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO CHK THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS. I SHOWED THE CAPT THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE IN. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO PULL AND RESET THEM ONE TIME. WITH THE AUTO THROTTLES DISENGAGED, I PULLED AND RESET THE 2 CIRCUIT BREAKERS. THE CAPT THEN RECONNECTED THE AUTO THROTTLES. THE SYS SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMALLY BUT AFTER A SHORT PERIOD, THE THROTTLES WERE COMMANDED TOWARD IDLE. THE CAPT DISCONNECTED THE AUTO THROTTLES AND PUSHED THE THROTTLE FORWARD. I TURNED THE #2 IGNITION ON CONTINUOUS FOR ALL 4 ENGS. ENGS #2 AND #3 ADVANCED TO MCT AND #1 AND #4 DID NOT RESPOND TO THRUST LEVER MOVEMENT. THE CAPT TOLD THE FO TO REQUEST DSCNT TO FL370. WE RECEIVED CLRNC AND IN THE DSCNT I PERFORMED COM PROC 'ENGS NOT RESPONDING TO THRUST LEVER MOVEMENT.' PRIOR TO LEVELING AT FL370, COMMAND OF #1 AND #4 WAS RESTORED. A PA WAS MADE TO THE PAX ABOUT AN AUTOMATIC SYS THAT REQUIRED A DSCNT AND THAT ALL WAS WELL. LOGBOOK ENTRIES WERE MADE, ENG RPTS WERE FILLED OUT, DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED PRIOR TO LNDG IN NRT AND A PWR PLANT SUPVR WAS BRIEFED. THERE HAD BEEN PROBS WITH THE AUTO THROTTLES PREVIOUSLY AND ENG #1 HAD ROLLED BACK IN DSCNT AT HIGH ALT IN SEPTEMBER.

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.