Narrative:

On initial climb after departing sfo, left engine was not producing full climb power. When we attempted to set power manually, egt went into the caution range. Fuel flow was also high. At about this time engine also began to surge. A decision was made to return to sfo. Because an overweight landing was required, we declared an emergency and had equipment standing by. We landed without incident. But as an observation, we were cleared direct to the sfo OM with a descent to 4000 ft. There was a delay being handed off to sfo approach control and when we finally established contact we were too high to make the visual they cleared us for. A 270 degree turn took care of the problem. But this illustrates how in an emergency when things are not normal (we were not part of the normal arrival flow) things can go amiss just when you would like them not to. When things are abnormal, everyone's situational awareness becomes very important. If we are to benefit from the redundancy we like to believe is built into the system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 ON CLBOUT LOST PWR IN THE L ENG. ELECTED TO RETURN TO SFO AND DECLARED EMER ACCOUNT OVERWT LNDG. EQUIP STANDING BY, NO PROB ON LNDG.

Narrative: ON INITIAL CLB AFTER DEPARTING SFO, L ENG WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL CLB PWR. WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO SET PWR MANUALLY, EGT WENT INTO THE CAUTION RANGE. FUEL FLOW WAS ALSO HIGH. AT ABOUT THIS TIME ENG ALSO BEGAN TO SURGE. A DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO SFO. BECAUSE AN OVERWT LNDG WAS REQUIRED, WE DECLARED AN EMER AND HAD EQUIP STANDING BY. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. BUT AS AN OBSERVATION, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO THE SFO OM WITH A DSCNT TO 4000 FT. THERE WAS A DELAY BEING HANDED OFF TO SFO APCH CTL AND WHEN WE FINALLY ESTABLISHED CONTACT WE WERE TOO HIGH TO MAKE THE VISUAL THEY CLRED US FOR. A 270 DEG TURN TOOK CARE OF THE PROB. BUT THIS ILLUSTRATES HOW IN AN EMER WHEN THINGS ARE NOT NORMAL (WE WERE NOT PART OF THE NORMAL ARR FLOW) THINGS CAN GO AMISS JUST WHEN YOU WOULD LIKE THEM NOT TO. WHEN THINGS ARE ABNORMAL, EVERYONE'S SITUATIONAL AWARENESS BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT. IF WE ARE TO BENEFIT FROM THE REDUNDANCY WE LIKE TO BELIEVE IS BUILT INTO THE SYS.

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.