Aircraft equipment problem. Air carrier is unable to get proper response from #2 engine during initial power reduction so the flight crew returns to land.

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Attributes
ACN	306890
Time
Date	199506
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phx
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phx tower : pbi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	306890
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

After departing phx with flaps and gear up, first officer (PF) attempted to reduce thrust to quiet EPR setting. Engine #2 thrust lever resisted movement and EPR and engine settings lagged well behind any thrust lever movements. Concerned about a possible linkage failure or fuel control problem, we decided to dump fuel down to landing weight and returned to phx. An emergency was declared. Approach and landing were uneventful. Upon maintenance inspection, #2 engine moisture trap was full of thick, soapy substance. Aircraft was washed by contract personnel previous evening and this thick residue in the engine may have caused indication and thrust lever movement problems. Later, on descent to dtw, #1 EPR stuck at 1.4 when thrust lever was reduced to idle but this was more manageable as thrust lever movement and all other engine indications were normal. Again, we wrote up discrepancy and released aircraft to maintenance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. ACR IS UNABLE TO GET PROPER RESPONSE FROM #2 ENG DURING INITIAL PWR REDUCTION SO THE FLC RETURNS TO LAND.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING PHX WITH FLAPS AND GEAR UP, FO (PF) ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE THRUST TO QUIET EPR SETTING. ENG #2 THRUST LEVER RESISTED MOVEMENT AND EPR AND ENG SETTINGS LAGGED WELL BEHIND ANY THRUST LEVER MOVEMENTS. CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE LINKAGE FAILURE OR FUEL CTL PROB, WE DECIDED TO DUMP FUEL DOWN TO LNDG WT AND RETURNED TO PHX. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. UPON MAINT INSPECTION, #2 ENG MOISTURE TRAP WAS FULL OF THICK, SOAPY SUBSTANCE. ACFT WAS WASHED BY CONTRACT PERSONNEL PREVIOUS EVENING AND THIS THICK RESIDUE IN THE ENG MAY HAVE CAUSED INDICATION AND THRUST LEVER MOVEMENT PROBS. LATER, ON DSCNT TO DTW, #1 EPR STUCK AT 1.4 WHEN THRUST LEVER WAS REDUCED TO IDLE BUT THIS WAS MORE MANAGEABLE AS THRUST LEVER MOVEMENT AND ALL OTHER ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. AGAIN, WE WROTE UP DISCREPANCY AND RELEASED ACFT TO MAINT.

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.