Narrative:

First officer was the PF. We were cleared to ZZZ1 via departure to ZZZ2 to climb to 10000 ft. We were cleared to start both engines as we were pushing back and both engine starts was normal. Configured for flaps 1 degree reduced N1 takeoff with assumed temperature of 38 degrees C. Input the final weights; and completed the before takeoff checklist. Tower cleared us right turn to 210 degrees after departure from runway 19R; behind a beech 1900. Takeoff at XA04Z. At 400 ft we had heading select and 800 ft we accelerated to flap retraction speed and called for flaps up VNAV. Departure gave us a turn to 270 degrees with climb to 15000 ft. At 1000 ft we started to get left engine surge; did the engine limit/surge/stall qrc from memory and followed by 5 large surges followed by a flame and smoke as reported by the cabin crew. Noticed that the egt maxed out with red light; no N1 and the oil quantity was reading in the 30's. Started the engine severe damage qrc. Smoke and acrid smell which dissipated after the bleed was closed. Declared an emergency and told the departure that we will climb and level off at 4000 ft and keep heading 270 degrees. Shut down the left engine and advised departure that we will return to ZZZ2 and were given heading 360 degrees and 3000 ft. Captain started the APU and xferred the #1 bus to the APU. Captain briefed the purser and talked to the passenger and did the checklist. We were cleared to heading 040 degrees. At about 12 mi from the approach end of runway; we were cleared for the approach. Captain finished the after takeoff checklist and approach descent checklist; dialed and idented the ILS for runway as a backup for the visual approach. He briefed the approach; briefed from the landing preparation; go around and overweight landing from the checklist and selected autobrakes #2. Reduced speed and selected flaps 1; 5; 10 degrees. On 8 mi final; selected gear down flaps 15 degrees; final descent checklist. Changed over to tower and was cleared to land. Touchdown was on speed at 1500 ft and on the centerline. Slowed down using right thrust reverser and xferred controls to the captain at around 75 KTS. Landing at XA15Z the fire truck followed us though the tower told us that there was no fire or smoke from the engines or the tires. Cleared the runway. Stopped the aircraft and captain asked me to inform the purser to remain seated and advise the passenger to also remain seated. Taxied to the gate area and contacted the station operations and was given a gate. Normal deplaning through door 1L at XA19Z. There was a mechanic standby passenger onboard this flight who went down and checked the engine and informed us that the oil line to the #4 bearing was broken. During the postflt there was a puddle of oil on the ground towards the back of the engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE NUMBER 4 OIL BEARING LUBRICATION LINE ON A B737-300 BROKE; CAUSING THE ENG TO SEIZE AT 1000 FT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH A RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: FO WAS THE PF. WE WERE CLRED TO ZZZ1 VIA DEP TO ZZZ2 TO CLB TO 10000 FT. WE WERE CLRED TO START BOTH ENGS AS WE WERE PUSHING BACK AND BOTH ENG STARTS WAS NORMAL. CONFIGURED FOR FLAPS 1 DEG REDUCED N1 TKOF WITH ASSUMED TEMP OF 38 DEGS C. INPUT THE FINAL WTS; AND COMPLETED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. TWR CLRED US R TURN TO 210 DEGS AFTER DEP FROM RWY 19R; BEHIND A BEECH 1900. TKOF AT XA04Z. AT 400 FT WE HAD HDG SELECT AND 800 FT WE ACCELERATED TO FLAP RETRACTION SPD AND CALLED FOR FLAPS UP VNAV. DEP GAVE US A TURN TO 270 DEGS WITH CLB TO 15000 FT. AT 1000 FT WE STARTED TO GET L ENG SURGE; DID THE ENG LIMIT/SURGE/STALL QRC FROM MEMORY AND FOLLOWED BY 5 LARGE SURGES FOLLOWED BY A FLAME AND SMOKE AS RPTED BY THE CABIN CREW. NOTICED THAT THE EGT MAXED OUT WITH RED LIGHT; NO N1 AND THE OIL QUANTITY WAS READING IN THE 30'S. STARTED THE ENG SEVERE DAMAGE QRC. SMOKE AND ACRID SMELL WHICH DISSIPATED AFTER THE BLEED WAS CLOSED. DECLARED AN EMER AND TOLD THE DEP THAT WE WILL CLB AND LEVEL OFF AT 4000 FT AND KEEP HDG 270 DEGS. SHUT DOWN THE L ENG AND ADVISED DEP THAT WE WILL RETURN TO ZZZ2 AND WERE GIVEN HDG 360 DEGS AND 3000 FT. CAPT STARTED THE APU AND XFERRED THE #1 BUS TO THE APU. CAPT BRIEFED THE PURSER AND TALKED TO THE PAX AND DID THE CHKLIST. WE WERE CLRED TO HDG 040 DEGS. AT ABOUT 12 MI FROM THE APCH END OF RWY; WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH. CAPT FINISHED THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST AND APCH DSCNT CHKLIST; DIALED AND IDENTED THE ILS FOR RWY AS A BACKUP FOR THE VISUAL APCH. HE BRIEFED THE APCH; BRIEFED FROM THE LNDG PREPARATION; GAR AND OVERWT LNDG FROM THE CHKLIST AND SELECTED AUTOBRAKES #2. REDUCED SPD AND SELECTED FLAPS 1; 5; 10 DEGS. ON 8 MI FINAL; SELECTED GEAR DOWN FLAPS 15 DEGS; FINAL DSCNT CHKLIST. CHANGED OVER TO TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. TOUCHDOWN WAS ON SPD AT 1500 FT AND ON THE CTRLINE. SLOWED DOWN USING R THRUST REVERSER AND XFERRED CTLS TO THE CAPT AT AROUND 75 KTS. LNDG AT XA15Z THE FIRE TRUCK FOLLOWED US THOUGH THE TWR TOLD US THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE OR SMOKE FROM THE ENGS OR THE TIRES. CLRED THE RWY. STOPPED THE ACFT AND CAPT ASKED ME TO INFORM THE PURSER TO REMAIN SEATED AND ADVISE THE PAX TO ALSO REMAIN SEATED. TAXIED TO THE GATE AREA AND CONTACTED THE STATION OPS AND WAS GIVEN A GATE. NORMAL DEPLANING THROUGH DOOR 1L AT XA19Z. THERE WAS A MECH STANDBY PAX ONBOARD THIS FLT WHO WENT DOWN AND CHKED THE ENG AND INFORMED US THAT THE OIL LINE TO THE #4 BEARING WAS BROKEN. DURING THE POSTFLT THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF OIL ON THE GND TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE ENG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.