Narrative:

Scheduled departure (XA57 local, 11/fri/01) was delayed due to hydraulic leak (flight xx ZZZ to ZZZ1). Company put our cargo on another flight. Block out for revised flight xxy ZZZ - ZZZ1 (reposition, no cargo load) was XF45 local. Taxied to runway 18R. Taxi, takeoff, and initial climb were normal. Reaching 1000 AGL/1100 MSL wings level and slight climb, we retracted flaps from 15 to 5 degrees, and experienced 5 to 6 severe compressor stalls on engine #1. As the captain pulled the #1 throttle to idle we experienced another series of 6 to 7 severe and rapid compressor stalls on engine #3. Both engine #1 and #3 EPR's went from 1.92 takeoff EPR to approximately 1.50 EPR. The captain also pulled #3 throttle to idle. We declared an emergency and requested an immediate landing. ATC cleared us to land runway 35 (at ZZZ). Both engine #1 and #3 operated in a stable manner at idle power. Both engines compressor stalled again when the captain attempted to increase power above idle. The captain made a 180 degree turn to the left toward runway 35 at 1000 ft AGL. We landed on runway 35, in normal landing configuration. We asked tower if they observed any smoke or fire from the aircraft, tower replied 'no smoke or fire observed.' fire-rescue personnel inspected the aircraft and engines and reported 'no defects noted.' we taxied back to blocks and parked at XG20 local. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane was released empty for a repositioning ferry after a hydraulic leak was repaired at ZZZ. The reporter stated the takeoff was normal and the climb angle was considerably less then the 18 degree limit when at 1100 ft the #1 engine stalled 5 to 6 times. The reporter said the #1 engine throttle was pulled back to idle when the #3 engine began 5 to 6 severe compressor stalls and both engines went from 1.92 engine pressure ratio to 1.50 engine pressure ratio. The reporter stated the #3 engine throttle was returned to idle and an emergency declared. The reporter said on return to the gate the maintenance lead technician and two technicians were abusive and used insulting language to the crew and accused them of improper operation of the airplane causing the engine stalls. The reporter said the airplane remained overnight and the only maintenance recorded was fuel filters replaced on #1 and #3 engines and a full engine change run was accomplished with no stalling reported. The reporter said the FAA required the flight data recorder and the voice recorder to be pulled. The reporter stated a tail skid cartridge was replaced as the indication tab was found broken and the tail skid shoe had slight wear. The reporter said the airplane was flown to the maintenance base by the same crew and the engine operations were normal. The reporter stated the analysis of the flight data recorder was not complete, but the FAA did say that something did happen at 1100 ft. The reporter said the FAA is investigating the lead technician and technicians for not accomplishing the maintenance manual procedures for severe engine stalling on two engines. The reporter said the FAA required the captain to make a check ride on the B727-200. Callback from acn 531901: the reporter stated that after landing and reporting the engine compressor stalls the behavior of the lead technician and technicians was out of order and unprofessional. The only solid fact from the whole episode was, reporter was ordered by the FAA to undergo a check ride.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 ON TKOF CLIMB AT 1100 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO SEVERE STALLING OF #1 AND #3 ENGINES. CAUSE UNKNOWN.

Narrative: SCHEDULED DEP (XA57 LCL, 11/FRI/01) WAS DELAYED DUE TO HYDRAULIC LEAK (FLT XX ZZZ TO ZZZ1). COMPANY PUT OUR CARGO ON ANOTHER FLT. BLOCK OUT FOR REVISED FLT XXY ZZZ - ZZZ1 (REPOSITION, NO CARGO LOAD) WAS XF45 LCL. TAXIED TO RWY 18R. TAXI, TKOF, AND INITIAL CLIMB WERE NORMAL. REACHING 1000 AGL/1100 MSL WINGS LEVEL AND SLIGHT CLIMB, WE RETRACTED FLAPS FROM 15 TO 5 DEGS, AND EXPERIENCED 5 TO 6 SEVERE COMPRESSOR STALLS ON ENGINE #1. AS THE CAPT PULLED THE #1 THROTTLE TO IDLE WE EXPERIENCED ANOTHER SERIES OF 6 TO 7 SEVERE AND RAPID COMPRESSOR STALLS ON ENGINE #3. BOTH ENGINE #1 AND #3 EPR'S WENT FROM 1.92 TKOF EPR TO APPROX 1.50 EPR. THE CAPT ALSO PULLED #3 THROTTLE TO IDLE. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. ATC CLRED US TO LAND RWY 35 (AT ZZZ). BOTH ENGINE #1 AND #3 OPERATED IN A STABLE MANNER AT IDLE PWR. BOTH ENGINES COMPRESSOR STALLED AGAIN WHEN THE CAPT ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE PWR ABOVE IDLE. THE CAPT MADE A 180 DEG TURN TO THE L TOWARD RWY 35 AT 1000 FT AGL. WE LANDED ON RWY 35, IN NORMAL LNDG CONFIGURATION. WE ASKED TWR IF THEY OBSERVED ANY SMOKE OR FIRE FROM THE ACFT, TWR REPLIED 'NO SMOKE OR FIRE OBSERVED.' FIRE-RESCUE PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE ACFT AND ENGINES AND RPTED 'NO DEFECTS NOTED.' WE TAXIED BACK TO BLOCKS AND PARKED AT XG20 LCL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS RELEASED EMPTY FOR A REPOSITIONING FERRY AFTER A HYDRAULIC LEAK WAS REPAIRED AT ZZZ. THE RPTR STATED THE TKOF WAS NORMAL AND THE CLIMB ANGLE WAS CONSIDERABLY LESS THEN THE 18 DEG LIMIT WHEN AT 1100 FT THE #1 ENGINE STALLED 5 TO 6 TIMES. THE RPTR SAID THE #1 ENGINE THROTTLE WAS PULLED BACK TO IDLE WHEN THE #3 ENGINE BEGAN 5 TO 6 SEVERE COMPRESSOR STALLS AND BOTH ENGINES WENT FROM 1.92 ENGINE PRESSURE RATIO TO 1.50 ENGINE PRESSURE RATIO. THE RPTR STATED THE #3 ENGINE THROTTLE WAS RETURNED TO IDLE AND AN EMER DECLARED. THE RPTR SAID ON RETURN TO THE GATE THE MAINT LEAD TECHNICIAN AND TWO TECHNICIANS WERE ABUSIVE AND USED INSULTING LANGUAGE TO THE CREW AND ACCUSED THEM OF IMPROPER OP OF THE AIRPLANE CAUSING THE ENGINE STALLS. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE REMAINED OVERNIGHT AND THE ONLY MAINT RECORDED WAS FUEL FILTERS REPLACED ON #1 AND #3 ENGINES AND A FULL ENGINE CHANGE RUN WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO STALLING RPTED. THE RPTR SAID THE FAA REQUIRED THE FLT DATA RECORDER AND THE VOICE RECORDER TO BE PULLED. THE RPTR STATED A TAIL SKID CARTRIDGE WAS REPLACED AS THE INDICATION TAB WAS FOUND BROKEN AND THE TAIL SKID SHOE HAD SLIGHT WEAR. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN TO THE MAINT BASE BY THE SAME CREW AND THE ENGINE OPS WERE NORMAL. THE RPTR STATED THE ANALYSIS OF THE FLT DATA RECORDER WAS NOT COMPLETE, BUT THE FAA DID SAY THAT SOMETHING DID HAPPEN AT 1100 FT. THE RPTR SAID THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING THE LEAD TECHNICIAN AND TECHNICIANS FOR NOT ACCOMPLISHING THE MAINT MANUAL PROCS FOR SEVERE ENGINE STALLING ON TWO ENGINES. THE RPTR SAID THE FAA REQUIRED THE CAPT TO MAKE A CHECK RIDE ON THE B727-200. CALLBACK FROM ACN 531901: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER LANDING AND RPTING THE ENGINE COMPRESSOR STALLS THE BEHAVIOR OF THE LEAD TECHNICIAN AND TECHNICIANS WAS OUT OF ORDER AND UNPROFESSIONAL. THE ONLY SOLID FACT FROM THE WHOLE EPISODE WAS, RPTR WAS ORDERED BY THE FAA TO UNDERGO A CHK RIDE.

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.