Narrative:

During clean-up after a normal takeoff, #3 engine compressor stalled with one loud 'pop,' which was heard and felt throughout the airplane. Subsequent communication with flight attendants confirmed an odor in the cabin, so an emergency was declared to expedite our return to our departure airport, since we had no idea what had caused the stall or odor. All engine indications were normal and no limits had been exceeded. A short, tight downwind was flown to a normal landing, after which the crash crew confirmed #3 engine looked ok. Normal taxi to a gate followed for passenger deplaning. Maintenance personnel noted no defects or abnormalities upon inspecting #3 engine. We later (next day), were assigned this same airplane for a revenue flight after it had flown 3 segments since our compressor stall. On preflight the engineer found evidence of a bird strike (including feathers) on the right wing inboard leading edge flap. I would speculate that we had found the source of our difficulties the previous night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 ON TKOF AT 1500 FT AGL DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD DUE TO #3 ENG COMPRESSOR STALL AND FUMES CAUSED BY A BIRD STRIKE.

Narrative: DURING CLEAN-UP AFTER A NORMAL TKOF, #3 ENG COMPRESSOR STALLED WITH ONE LOUD 'POP,' WHICH WAS HEARD AND FELT THROUGHOUT THE AIRPLANE. SUBSEQUENT COM WITH FLT ATTENDANTS CONFIRMED AN ODOR IN THE CABIN, SO AN EMER WAS DECLARED TO EXPEDITE OUR RETURN TO OUR DEP ARPT, SINCE WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD CAUSED THE STALL OR ODOR. ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL AND NO LIMITS HAD BEEN EXCEEDED. A SHORT, TIGHT DOWNWIND WAS FLOWN TO A NORMAL LNDG, AFTER WHICH THE CRASH CREW CONFIRMED #3 ENG LOOKED OK. NORMAL TAXI TO A GATE FOLLOWED FOR PAX DEPLANING. MAINT PERSONNEL NOTED NO DEFECTS OR ABNORMALITIES UPON INSPECTING #3 ENG. WE LATER (NEXT DAY), WERE ASSIGNED THIS SAME AIRPLANE FOR A REVENUE FLT AFTER IT HAD FLOWN 3 SEGMENTS SINCE OUR COMPRESSOR STALL. ON PREFLT THE ENGINEER FOUND EVIDENCE OF A BIRD STRIKE (INCLUDING FEATHERS) ON THE R WING INBOARD LEADING EDGE FLAP. I WOULD SPECULATE THAT WE HAD FOUND THE SOURCE OF OUR DIFFICULTIES THE PREVIOUS NIGHT.

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.