MD-11
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
Just as we started to taxi (with three engines running) the #2 engine flamed out. Since this was a repeat write-up; I had the First Officer (FO) asked the ramp tower if they saw any fire or smoke (as in a previous write-up). Ramp Tower said they saw smoke coming from the engine; so I immediately shut down the engine with the fuel lever and fired one fire bottle. The tower then said the smoke was dissipating; so did not fire the second bottle. I called for the fire crews to check out the engine and all appeared OK to them. We were towed back to the gate.[The cause was] an unknown engine or system malfunction.No suggestions other than possibly more preventive maintenance and taking the previous fire report very seriously. It appeared from the previous write-up when fire and smoke was evident that maintenance did not really find the cause of the problem; but serviced the fire bottles and released the airplane for service. But I do not know the full maintenance history.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
MD-11 flight crew reported Number 2 engine flamed out at initial taxi and smoke was reported coming from the engine; so the fire bottle was discharged and the flight returned to the gate.