A B727-200 ON LEVELOFF FL350 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO LOSS OF PWR IN #1 AND #3 ENGS CAUSED BY FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative

THIS WAS THE SECOND LEG OF A 3 LEG TRIP. FO'S LEG. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AT FL350 A PROB WAS NOTED WITH THE #1 ENG CSD. THE ACFT LOG WAS REVIEWED FOR A PREVIOUS WRITE- UP; CIRCUIT PROTECTION WAS CHKED AND APPROPRIATE RED TAG CHKLIST WAS PULLED OUT. PRIOR TO RUNNING CHKLIST; A LOUD POP; CHUG; YAW; VIBRATION WAS HEARD/FELT. #1 ENG HAD ROLLED BACK AND SURGING BACK AND FORTH. #1 ENG CSD WAS DIRECTED TO BE DISCONNECTED. THEN #3 WAS NOTICED TO HAVE ROLLED BACK AND ALSO WAS SURGING. I DIRECTED THE ENGINEER TO GO OFF XFEED OP TO NORMAL TANK TO ENG FEED. I RETARDED #1 AND #3 THRUST LEVERS TO IDLE AS I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZKC AND INITIATED A DSCNT TO FL310. A SHALLOW DSCNT WAS BEGUN. THE ENGS SMOOTHED OUT AS #3 STABILIZED AT IDLE PWR WHILE #1 DECAYED TO WINDMILLING RPM. WE STATED OUR INTENTION TO RETURN TO MCI AND RECEIVED A VECTOR. ENG FAILURE CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED ON #1 AND LATER AIR START CHKLIST WAS ACCOMPLISHED (RE-LIT SUCCESSFULLY). POSSIBLE FUEL CONTAMINATION. WE DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ICT WHICH WAS CLOSER AND LIKE MCI HAD LONG RWY; SOUTHERLY WINDS AND CLR WX. UPON LEVELING AT FL240 PWR ON #1 AND #3 ENGS WAS SMOOTHLY INCREASED. ENG PERFORMANCE SEEMED NORMAL. NORMAL DSCNT TO LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT THIS POINT. A VFR APCH TO RWY 19R BACKED UP BY THE ICS WAS FLOWN BY THE CAPT ON ALL 3 ENGS. ATC PROVIDED EXCELLENT SUPPORT. FIRE FIGHTING EQUIP WAS STANDING BY UPON OUR ARR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SO WAS NEW AND ANALYST DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF FUEL BAL PRIOR TO TKOF. THE RPTR SAID THE SIT AT LEVELOFF AT FL350 WAS #1 AND #3 ENG BOOST PUMPS OFF AND FUEL XFEED VALVES WERE OPEN AND FEEDING ALL ENGS FROM #2 TANK. THE RPTR STATED A #1 ENG CONSTANT SPD DRIVE LOW PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS FLICKERING INTERMITTENTLY AND THEY STARTED THE CHKLIST TO DISCONNECT. AT THIS TIME THE #1 ENG ROLLED BACK AND WAS SURGING; THEN #3 ENG BEGAN SURGING. THE RPTR DIRECTED THE SO TO FEED THE ENGS TANK TO ENG. THE RPTR SAID AT THIS POINT AN EMER WAS DECLARED. THE RPTR STATES #3 ENG STABILIZED AT IDLE PWR BUT #1 ENG WAS WINDMILLING BUT WAS RESTARTED. PWR WAS RETURNED TO NORMAL AND A NORMAL LNDG WAS MADE. THE RPTR SAID MAINT MADE AN EXTENSIVE CHK OF THE FUEL SYS BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY DEFECTIVE COMPONENT AND THE TEST FLT WAS NORMAL. THE RPTR STATES THE RESULTS OR CONCLUSION OF THE COMPANY INVESTIGATION WAS FUEL MISMGMNT AND THE BELIEF THAT THE XFEED VALVES WERE CLOSED THE BOOST PUMPS FOR #1 AND #3 TANKS WERE OFF AND THE ENG DRIVEN FUEL PUMPS WOULD NOT ADEQUATELY SUCTION FUEL FROM THESE TANKS AT FL350. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 382116 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IT IS PROC TO TURN OFF THE #1 AND #3 TANK BOOST PUMPS AFTER REACHING 1000 FT ALT AND FEED ALL ENGS WITH THE CTR FUEL TANK. THE RPTR STATES MAINT REPLACED FUEL FILTERS AND MADE FUEL FEED CHKS AND THE FLT TEST WAS OK. THE RPTR SAID THE SO WAS RETRAINED AND REST OF THE CREW WAS RETURNED TO THE LINE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 382117 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CONCLUSION OF THE COMPANY INVESTIGATION WAS THAT THE RPTR CLOSED THE #1 AND #3 XFEED VALVES AND DID NOT TURN ON THE #1 AND #3 TANK BOOST PUMPS CAUSING FUEL STARVATION OF THE ENGS.