Narrative:

Per company procedure we used normal power instead of alternate EPR. Taxied to runway 36C and was cleared for takeoff. Everything normal to where copilot said 'positive rate' and I said 'gear up.' at that moment there was a loud bang and the aircraft yawed left. I looked at engine instruments (had an engine fail light on) and #1 EPR was way down. Copilot tells tower we've lost an engine, claiming an emergency, climbing straight out and we'll let you know when we can turn. Tower says 'it looks like it's on fire.' we had no indication of a fire although egt was pegged out but we shut down the engine (at safe altitude), and discharged the left fire bottle. The egt started coming down and at 2500 ft MSL we started a turn back to airport. We were talking to departure at this time and turned to 180 degrees for the downwind. Everything went as it was supposed to and we landed on runway 36C and rolled down to where the fire trucks could look at the engine. They said no fire, so we taxied back to the gate. Went out, looked at engine and the top of the cowling had a hole about 3 ft X 3 ft. Parts had punctured the #2 engine inlet duct and had torn holes in the top of #2 engine inlet duct. Other holes and dents above the #1 engine pylon. Another airplane came in from dfw and we took it (and the passenger) back to atl. Runway 36C was still closed at that time because of all the metal on the runway. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a B727- 200 when the #1 engine had an uncontained failure and parts of that engine entered the unpressurized area forward of the aft airstair, the #2 engine 'south' duct and surrounding area and at least 1 object penetrated the cabin causing the ceiling of one of the aft lavatories to collapse. The reporter did not inspect the aft interior of the aircraft, but relied on the flight attendant's reports about the aft lavatory. This captain did inspect the exterior of the aircraft along with the so and maintenance personnel. There was extensive damage, but no debris actually went into the #2 engine. The captain was particularly pleased with mem TRACON. He said that the departure controller coordinated with the tower and crash rescue and allowed the flight crew to stay on 1 discrete frequency throughout the return. They changed only to contact ground controller after leaving the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC OF A B727-200 HAD AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE OF #1 ENG JUST AFTER LIFTOFF WITH COLLATERAL DAMAGE. THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND A SAFE RETURN TO THE ARPT WAS ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: PER COMPANY PROC WE USED NORMAL PWR INSTEAD OF ALTERNATE EPR. TAXIED TO RWY 36C AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. EVERYTHING NORMAL TO WHERE COPLT SAID 'POSITIVE RATE' AND I SAID 'GEAR UP.' AT THAT MOMENT THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND THE ACFT YAWED L. I LOOKED AT ENG INSTS (HAD AN ENG FAIL LIGHT ON) AND #1 EPR WAS WAY DOWN. COPLT TELLS TWR WE'VE LOST AN ENG, CLAIMING AN EMER, CLBING STRAIGHT OUT AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE CAN TURN. TWR SAYS 'IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ON FIRE.' WE HAD NO INDICATION OF A FIRE ALTHOUGH EGT WAS PEGGED OUT BUT WE SHUT DOWN THE ENG (AT SAFE ALT), AND DISCHARGED THE L FIRE BOTTLE. THE EGT STARTED COMING DOWN AND AT 2500 FT MSL WE STARTED A TURN BACK TO ARPT. WE WERE TALKING TO DEP AT THIS TIME AND TURNED TO 180 DEGS FOR THE DOWNWIND. EVERYTHING WENT AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO AND WE LANDED ON RWY 36C AND ROLLED DOWN TO WHERE THE FIRE TRUCKS COULD LOOK AT THE ENG. THEY SAID NO FIRE, SO WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. WENT OUT, LOOKED AT ENG AND THE TOP OF THE COWLING HAD A HOLE ABOUT 3 FT X 3 FT. PARTS HAD PUNCTURED THE #2 ENG INLET DUCT AND HAD TORN HOLES IN THE TOP OF #2 ENG INLET DUCT. OTHER HOLES AND DENTS ABOVE THE #1 ENG PYLON. ANOTHER AIRPLANE CAME IN FROM DFW AND WE TOOK IT (AND THE PAX) BACK TO ATL. RWY 36C WAS STILL CLOSED AT THAT TIME BECAUSE OF ALL THE METAL ON THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A B727- 200 WHEN THE #1 ENG HAD AN UNCONTAINED FAILURE AND PARTS OF THAT ENG ENTERED THE UNPRESSURIZED AREA FORWARD OF THE AFT AIRSTAIR, THE #2 ENG 'S' DUCT AND SURROUNDING AREA AND AT LEAST 1 OBJECT PENETRATED THE CABIN CAUSING THE CEILING OF ONE OF THE AFT LAVATORIES TO COLLAPSE. THE RPTR DID NOT INSPECT THE AFT INTERIOR OF THE ACFT, BUT RELIED ON THE FLT ATTENDANT'S RPTS ABOUT THE AFT LAVATORY. THIS CAPT DID INSPECT THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACFT ALONG WITH THE SO AND MAINT PERSONNEL. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, BUT NO DEBRIS ACTUALLY WENT INTO THE #2 ENG. THE CAPT WAS PARTICULARLY PLEASED WITH MEM TRACON. HE SAID THAT THE DEP CTLR COORDINATED WITH THE TWR AND CRASH RESCUE AND ALLOWED THE FLC TO STAY ON 1 DISCRETE FREQ THROUGHOUT THE RETURN. THEY CHANGED ONLY TO CONTACT GND CTLR AFTER LEAVING THE RWY.

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.