A B747-200 CLBING THROUGH FL340 LOSES #2 AND #3 ENGS WHILE IN CLB NEAR NAGOYA; JAPAN. THE ACFT HAD BEEN OPERATED WITH #1 AND #4 FEEDING ALL ENGS. THE SO TURNED ON #2 AND #3 BOOST PUMPS AND THE ENGS RESTARTED. ACFT WAS LEVELED AT FL350.

Narrative

ENGS #2 AND #3 FLAMED OUT WHILE CLBING THROUGH FL340 TO FL390. IT APPEARS TO BE A FUEL STARVATION PROB. THE SO WAS XFEEDING FUEL FROM THE #1 AND #4 FUEL TANKS TO THE #2 AND #3 ENGS. AFTER THE ENGS FLAMED OUT THE SO TURNED ON THE #2 AND #3 TANK BOOST PUMPS AND THE ENGS RESTARTED. FROM THE FLAMEOUTS TO THE RESTART TOOK ABOUT 1 MIN. WE NEVER LOST ALT; BUT WE DID LEVEL AT FL350. AFTER NORMAL TANK TO ENG FUEL FEED WAS RE-ESTABLISHED THE #2 AND #3 ENGS OPERATED NORMALLY THE REST OF THE FLT (NEXT 2 HRS). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT THE FUEL LOAD ON DEP WAS 85000 LBS OF FUEL; SO THE TANKS WERE BALANCED TO BEGIN WITH. THERE WAS NO NEED TO EVEN START A XFEEDING OP. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHY THE SO WAS ATTEMPTING A BAL OF #1 AND #4 TANKS. HE WAS NOT ADVISED THAT THERE WAS TO BE A BALANCING OP AND SAID THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE DONE IN A CLB MODE ANYWAY. THE SO SAID HE HAD NOT CLOSED A XFEED PRIOR TO THE ENGS FLAMING OUT. HIS AIRLINE DOES NOT HAVE A POLICY WHEREIN THE SO ADVISES THE CAPT PRIOR TO A CHANGE IN THE FUEL PANEL SETUP AND FEELS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME LEVEL OF COORD. THERE WAS AN AIRLINE SAFETY MEETING A WK LATER TO DISCUSS THIS INCIDENT. THE COMPANY FEELS THAT IT WAS A LOW PRESSURE BOOST PUMP PROB. 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT; THE #4 ENG FLAMED OUT INFLT AND THEY CHANGED FUEL FILTERS. A WK LATER AFTER THE EVENT THERE WAS A BOOST PUMP CHANGE IN EITHER #1 OR #4 TANK. THE COMPANY IS CAREFUL TO NOT HAVE AN IMBAL DURING GND REFUELING PROCS.