In flight engine shutdown. Flight returns to departure airport. Emergency declared.

Attributes
ACN	140071
Time
Date	199003
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : spa
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 41000 msl bound upper : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 88 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 585
ASRS Report	140071
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12500 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	139923
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight on air carrier from atl to bdl, 3/thu/90. During cruise at 4100' shortly after level off, we encountered what felt like a compressor stall. A quick scan of the engines indicated no abnormality. After a short time period, the right engine surged again, this time more severely. Immediately the throttle was retarded and a clearance was requested to descend and return to atl, the departure point. While in the vicinity of spartanburg, sc, the egn on the right engine was observed to be rising. The engine was then shut down. I elected to continue to atl and considered it to be the best suitable alternate because the WX in the area was excellent, both crew members were very familiar with the atl airport and the surrounding terrain, we could receive immediately response from company experts and the atl fire department's familiarity with the widebody transport. Its emergency evacuate/evacuation rts and quick response were also a decided asset. Another reason was it was a direct flight path with a slow drift down. That gave us adequate time to review single engine procedures, approach procedures and a thorough discussion of our course of action. An uneventful landing was accomplished in atl. Prior to our flight the aircraft log book indicated that the failed engine had a surge problem the previous day. However a check of the engine indicated no problem areas. The engine I shut down was found to be defective and required replacing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN FLT ENGINE SHUTDOWN. FLT RETURNS TO DEP ARPT. EMERGENCY DECLARED.

Narrative: FLT ON ACR FROM ATL TO BDL, 3/THU/90. DURING CRUISE AT 4100' SHORTLY AFTER LEVEL OFF, WE ENCOUNTERED WHAT FELT LIKE A COMPRESSOR STALL. A QUICK SCAN OF THE ENGS INDICATED NO ABNORMALITY. AFTER A SHORT TIME PERIOD, THE RIGHT ENG SURGED AGAIN, THIS TIME MORE SEVERELY. IMMEDIATELY THE THROTTLE WAS RETARDED AND A CLRNC WAS REQUESTED TO DSND AND RETURN TO ATL, THE DEP POINT. WHILE IN THE VICINITY OF SPARTANBURG, SC, THE EGN ON THE RIGHT ENG WAS OBSERVED TO BE RISING. THE ENG WAS THEN SHUT DOWN. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO ATL AND CONSIDERED IT TO BE THE BEST SUITABLE ALTERNATE BECAUSE THE WX IN THE AREA WAS EXCELLENT, BOTH CREW MEMBERS WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ATL ARPT AND THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN, WE COULD RECEIVE IMMEDIATELY RESPONSE FROM COMPANY EXPERTS AND THE ATL FIRE DEPT'S FAMILIARITY WITH THE WDB. ITS EMER EVAC RTS AND QUICK RESPONSE WERE ALSO A DECIDED ASSET. ANOTHER REASON WAS IT WAS A DIRECT FLT PATH WITH A SLOW DRIFT DOWN. THAT GAVE US ADEQUATE TIME TO REVIEW SINGLE ENG PROCS, APCH PROCS AND A THOROUGH DISCUSSION OF OUR COURSE OF ACTION. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN ATL. PRIOR TO OUR FLT THE ACFT LOG BOOK INDICATED THAT THE FAILED ENG HAD A SURGE PROB THE PREVIOUS DAY. HOWEVER A CHK OF THE ENG INDICATED NO PROB AREAS. THE ENG I SHUT DOWN WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE AND REQUIRED REPLACING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.