Narrative:

Engine #2 egt exceedance during takeoff at gear retraction. ECAM procedure complied with which resulted in the shutdown of the engine and a return for landing. We had a warning annunciator on glare shield followed by a chime and an ECAM message. #2 engine egt indicated an over-temperature - red - condition. We complied with appropriate checklists: a) after takeoff; B) ECAM actions; C) descent/approach; D) landing. Notified ATC that we were shutting down 1 engine and would like a slow vector back to airport. I was very busy as the PNF communicating with ATC; flight attendants and passenger and reloading the FMC for a return to airport. Additionally; I quickly check the QRH for an overweight landing as well as the landing distance required. Incredibly; although I considered this an emergency whether I had to shut down the engine or not; I may have overlooked the obvious: declaring an emergency with ATC! Nevertheless; they were very accommodating and gave us excellent vectors back to the airport. The approach; landing and taxiing to the gate were uneventful. Everything went just like a typical simulator ride except that I omitted to declare an emergency. I don't know why; I have always been trained to do so. All I can think of is that although we didn't have an engine failure; the ECAM called for a shutdown of an engine that was operating normally. It was tempting to keep the bad engine at idle for the return to field; but the plane was flying fine and I felt that we could continue on one engine. It did cross my mind that if I did not shut down the engine; additional failure may occur. So many things to consider while also trying to monitor what the PF was doing that I overlooked the most obvious source of help by not declaring an emergency with ATC. Supplemental information from acn 754311: to correct this 'declare emergency' should be on the engine shutdown checklist.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A321 #2 ENG EXCEEDED MAX TEMP DURING TAKEOFF AND ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. FLT CREW RETURNED FOR UNEVENTFUL OVERWEIGHT LNDG.

Narrative: ENG #2 EGT EXCEEDANCE DURING TKOF AT GEAR RETRACTION. ECAM PROC COMPLIED WITH WHICH RESULTED IN THE SHUTDOWN OF THE ENG AND A RETURN FOR LNDG. WE HAD A WARNING ANNUNCIATOR ON GLARE SHIELD FOLLOWED BY A CHIME AND AN ECAM MESSAGE. #2 ENG EGT INDICATED AN OVER-TEMP - RED - CONDITION. WE COMPLIED WITH APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS: A) AFTER TKOF; B) ECAM ACTIONS; C) DSCNT/APCH; D) LNDG. NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE WERE SHUTTING DOWN 1 ENG AND WOULD LIKE A SLOW VECTOR BACK TO ARPT. I WAS VERY BUSY AS THE PNF COMMUNICATING WITH ATC; FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX AND RELOADING THE FMC FOR A RETURN TO ARPT. ADDITIONALLY; I QUICKLY CHK THE QRH FOR AN OVERWT LNDG AS WELL AS THE LNDG DISTANCE REQUIRED. INCREDIBLY; ALTHOUGH I CONSIDERED THIS AN EMER WHETHER I HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG OR NOT; I MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED THE OBVIOUS: DECLARING AN EMER WITH ATC! NEVERTHELESS; THEY WERE VERY ACCOMMODATING AND GAVE US EXCELLENT VECTORS BACK TO THE ARPT. THE APCH; LNDG AND TAXIING TO THE GATE WERE UNEVENTFUL. EVERYTHING WENT JUST LIKE A TYPICAL SIMULATOR RIDE EXCEPT THAT I OMITTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I DON'T KNOW WHY; I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TRAINED TO DO SO. ALL I CAN THINK OF IS THAT ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T HAVE AN ENG FAILURE; THE ECAM CALLED FOR A SHUTDOWN OF AN ENG THAT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. IT WAS TEMPTING TO KEEP THE BAD ENG AT IDLE FOR THE RETURN TO FIELD; BUT THE PLANE WAS FLYING FINE AND I FELT THAT WE COULD CONTINUE ON ONE ENG. IT DID CROSS MY MIND THAT IF I DID NOT SHUT DOWN THE ENG; ADDITIONAL FAILURE MAY OCCUR. SO MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER WHILE ALSO TRYING TO MONITOR WHAT THE PF WAS DOING THAT I OVERLOOKED THE MOST OBVIOUS SOURCE OF HELP BY NOT DECLARING AN EMER WITH ATC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 754311: TO CORRECT THIS 'DECLARE EMER' SHOULD BE ON THE ENG SHUTDOWN CHKLIST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.