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

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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.