How was your colleague able to deduce that it was a fuel leak that caused the flame out? Was there a significant fuel flow indication on the fuel flow gauges after the fact that the engine had flamed out?
Interesting scenario as the fuel flow transmitters are DOWNSTREAM of the MEC (Main Engine Control) (B737 Classic) or the HMU (Hydro Mechanical Unit) (B737 NG).
In this case isn't the throttle system smart enough to stop the flow before it reaches the Fuel Flow Sensors ie stop the flow at the MEC/HMU?
I notice the Fuel Leak checklist confirms the leak by firstly turning off the centre tank fuel pumps observing an imbalance between the two main tanks. How long is that going to take? (rhetorical question)
Either checklist (Engine Failure or Fuel Leak) would secure the situation when the Start Levers are moved to cutoff (this closes two valves that cuts off the fuel upstream and down stream of the MEC/HMU). I suspect you would get to that stage in the checklist quicker if you were to do the Engine Failure checklist.
While I initially thought your colleague had a valid argument, points already made here by other posters are pretty compelling.
Last edited by Blip; 23rd January 2008 at 19:02.
Reason: I meant to say DOWNSTREAM rather than UPSTREAM! (Thanks františek dobrota) :)