Narrative:

After takeoff from atl, right engine failed abruptly at 1000 ft AGL. The first officer was flying the aircraft. There was a sudden loud bang that emitted from rear of aircraft and a subsequent shudder of aircraft. I initially thought there may have been some type of collision to the aircraft. I took control of aircraft and discovered the flight controls were rigid. I momentarily considered a flight control problem, then realized the autoplt was engaged. I disconnected the autoplt and called for 'engine failure checklist.' the first officer ran the checklist and declared an emergency. Approach control assigned altitudes of 3500 ft and 4000 ft also 2 subsequent vector headings. I requested an extended downwind. Approach control cleared me for a visual approach to runway 8L and questioned me if I could make my turn to final without overshooting runway 8L. I replied yes. After starting turn it became obvious I was overshooting runway 8L and so advised tower. I was kept advised of all the traffic in my area. Landing was accomplished on runway 8L. I received excellent handling by approach control and tower controller. Lessons learned: 1) if the autoplt is engaged at low altitude before aircraft is configured clean and there is a transfer of control due to this type of emergency, it can cause a delay in the analyzing process in determining what type of emergency or emergencys are present. 2) due to close in downwind leg to runway, higher than normal approach speed, turning into good engine, making sure all cockpit work has been completed, I overshot runway centerline and couldn't conform to ATC request which I had agreed to. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he heard through maintenance that the turbine blade section failed in the engine causing a catastrophic failure. The aircraft was an MD80 and the company trained and used a procedure for yrs of not engaging the autoplt until after complete aircraft clean- up after takeoff. However, the first officer who was flying at the time of the malfunction, had engaged the autoplt before clean since that what he was taught to do in recent company training. Not knowing this, it caused him to think that the flight controls had become damaged at first since they were stiff and fighting his input. He stated that he has reviewed this procedure with training to assure all pilots are aware and using the same procedure. Emergency was declared.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD80 HEARD A LOUD BANG AND FELT A HVY VIBRATION FROM THE TAIL SECTION ON INITIAL CLB AFTER TKOF. CAPT IMMEDIATELY TOOK OVER FLYING THE ACFT BUT NOTICED IT VERY HARD TO MOVE FLT CTLS DUE TO THE AUTOPLT BEING ENGAGED BY THE FO JUST PRIOR TO AN ENG FAILURE, WHICH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE AND VIBRATION.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM ATL, R ENG FAILED ABRUPTLY AT 1000 FT AGL. THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOUD BANG THAT EMITTED FROM REAR OF ACFT AND A SUBSEQUENT SHUDDER OF ACFT. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME TYPE OF COLLISION TO THE ACFT. I TOOK CTL OF ACFT AND DISCOVERED THE FLT CTLS WERE RIGID. I MOMENTARILY CONSIDERED A FLT CTL PROB, THEN REALIZED THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND CALLED FOR 'ENG FAILURE CHKLIST.' THE FO RAN THE CHKLIST AND DECLARED AN EMER. APCH CTL ASSIGNED ALTS OF 3500 FT AND 4000 FT ALSO 2 SUBSEQUENT VECTOR HDGS. I REQUESTED AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND. APCH CTL CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8L AND QUESTIONED ME IF I COULD MAKE MY TURN TO FINAL WITHOUT OVERSHOOTING RWY 8L. I REPLIED YES. AFTER STARTING TURN IT BECAME OBVIOUS I WAS OVERSHOOTING RWY 8L AND SO ADVISED TWR. I WAS KEPT ADVISED OF ALL THE TFC IN MY AREA. LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON RWY 8L. I RECEIVED EXCELLENT HANDLING BY APCH CTL AND TWR CTLR. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) IF THE AUTOPLT IS ENGAGED AT LOW ALT BEFORE ACFT IS CONFIGURED CLEAN AND THERE IS A TRANSFER OF CTL DUE TO THIS TYPE OF EMER, IT CAN CAUSE A DELAY IN THE ANALYZING PROCESS IN DETERMINING WHAT TYPE OF EMER OR EMERS ARE PRESENT. 2) DUE TO CLOSE IN DOWNWIND LEG TO RWY, HIGHER THAN NORMAL APCH SPD, TURNING INTO GOOD ENG, MAKING SURE ALL COCKPIT WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED, I OVERSHOT RWY CTRLINE AND COULDN'T CONFORM TO ATC REQUEST WHICH I HAD AGREED TO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HEARD THROUGH MAINT THAT THE TURBINE BLADE SECTION FAILED IN THE ENG CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE ACFT WAS AN MD80 AND THE COMPANY TRAINED AND USED A PROC FOR YRS OF NOT ENGAGING THE AUTOPLT UNTIL AFTER COMPLETE ACFT CLEAN- UP AFTER TKOF. HOWEVER, THE FO WHO WAS FLYING AT THE TIME OF THE MALFUNCTION, HAD ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT BEFORE CLEAN SINCE THAT WHAT HE WAS TAUGHT TO DO IN RECENT COMPANY TRAINING. NOT KNOWING THIS, IT CAUSED HIM TO THINK THAT THE FLT CTLS HAD BECOME DAMAGED AT FIRST SINCE THEY WERE STIFF AND FIGHTING HIS INPUT. HE STATED THAT HE HAS REVIEWED THIS PROC WITH TRAINING TO ASSURE ALL PLTS ARE AWARE AND USING THE SAME PROC. EMER WAS DECLARED.

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.