Engine flameout after takeoff

[Cakov]

One of the drills we regularly carry out in the 737 sim is that of an engine flameout / failure after takeoff (no fire, exceedences, severe damage, etc.).

With no apparent damage, we are often blithely told that we can carry out the engine failure / shutdown checklist once we've levelled off, and then attempt a restart.

In a genuine case of engine flameout after takeoff, however, would you really spend time trying to restart the engine, instead of getting back on the ground with one good engine as quickly as possible, just in case that one conks out, too (e.g., fuel contamination, FADEC problem (?)).

[Fbwdude]

Hi to all,
How many times have you seen and engine flame out in your life.
In real world i would not try to restart the engine,i 'd land back.
In the sim i do what they want me to do(restart).
By the way i had 2 flame outs in 22 years of flying,one in flight and the other during taxi out(piece of cake).
Best of luck to all.

[lomapaseo]

There is no problem in attempting a restart on an undamaged engine.

Whether you want to or not is a pilot decision.

It is also a pilot knowledge decision to decide if the engine is damaged or not.

Whether you want to attempt landing on only one engine vs a restart is also a decision.

I don't see a problem with the training sylabus.

[HSWL]

Iomapaseo. An engine does not flame-out on take-off for no good reason. Something is wrong even though there may not be any internal damage that you are aware of. A 737 flies very nicely on one engine within reasonable gross weight limits. Why risk unknown gremlins by re-starting a defective engine unless it is imperative for reasons of flight safety.

[lomapaseo]

Many of the so-called flameouts are actaually an engine surge and brief loss of parameters which may be recovereable by crew action. While such an event is an abnormal occurence it is not always associated with permanet damage but can be associated with a bird ingestion without damage , inlet disturbances or even temporary thermal distortion within the engine.

Numerous cases of engines being restarted after these so-called flameouts including those pesky volcanic ash ingestions.

[meatball]

NO MATTER WHAT FLY FIRST, FIX LATER:ok:

[Old Smokey]

One of the many reasons that we're paid a reasonably high salary in this profession is that we have to make decisions, and following something by rote is not a decision, but a 'canned response'.

There is the world of a difference between a quick return circuit in visual conditions when below maximum landing weight, and diversion to the Departure Alternate several hundred miles away in IMC. In the first case you'll probably be on the ground before you could complete the relight checklist, in the latter it is highly desirable to attempt a restart of an undamaged engine.

For a scenario mid-way between these 2 extremes, e.g. good weather for immediate return, but 20 minutes of fuel dumping required, I might as well do something productive during the fuel dump, like attempting a relight.

Too many variables - Make a decision based upon the existing circumstances.

Old Smokey