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An MD83 experienced #1 engine compressor stall at FL330. Descended to 17000 ft and was able to recover power up to 1 pt 5 EPR. Flight diverted to dfw.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 362752 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zhu |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-83 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : zhu |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 17500 |
| ASRS Report | 362752 |
| 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 | other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Level at FL330 en route from zih to stl, approximately 1 hour 30 mins into flight, when #1 engine began compressor stalling. Disengaged autothrottle and reduced #1 to idle power, stalls ceased. Advanced power on #1 and stalls returned at 1.2 EPR. Returned #1 to idle. Now considered aircraft as basically single engine and asked monterey for lower. With #2 at maximum cruise and #1 at idle, descended to FL230. Could not maintain speed at FL230 so descended to 17000 ft. Contacted company maintenance and dispatch during this time for help. Now considered landing at nearest suitable airport (mcallen or brownsville). Company asked if we could make sat or hou. I considered the aircraft basically single engine and wanted to land soon. Finally agreed with company to land at crp. Declared an emergency and headed for crp. While heading to crp we found the compressor stall checklist we had been looking for and accomplished the list. We were able to recover #1 engine to 1.5 EPR before egt got to caution range. Contacted company dispatch and maintenance again and decided it would be safe to divert do dfw (had customs available and company maintenance). Relayed this to ZHU and told them we had recovered significant engine power on #1 and were no longer an emergency, requested vector to dfw. Approximately 45 mins later we landed at dfw without incident. Crash equipment stood by even though I had told tower at dfw that we didn't need them. Secured left engine after landing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD83 EXPERIENCED #1 ENG COMPRESSOR STALL AT FL330. DSNDED TO 17000 FT AND WAS ABLE TO RECOVER PWR UP TO 1 PT 5 EPR. FLT DIVERTED TO DFW.
Narrative: LEVEL AT FL330 ENRTE FROM ZIH TO STL, APPROX 1 HR 30 MINS INTO FLT, WHEN #1 ENG BEGAN COMPRESSOR STALLING. DISENGAGED AUTOTHROTTLE AND REDUCED #1 TO IDLE PWR, STALLS CEASED. ADVANCED PWR ON #1 AND STALLS RETURNED AT 1.2 EPR. RETURNED #1 TO IDLE. NOW CONSIDERED ACFT AS BASICALLY SINGLE ENG AND ASKED MONTEREY FOR LOWER. WITH #2 AT MAX CRUISE AND #1 AT IDLE, DSNDED TO FL230. COULD NOT MAINTAIN SPD AT FL230 SO DSNDED TO 17000 FT. CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT AND DISPATCH DURING THIS TIME FOR HELP. NOW CONSIDERED LNDG AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT (MCALLEN OR BROWNSVILLE). COMPANY ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE SAT OR HOU. I CONSIDERED THE ACFT BASICALLY SINGLE ENG AND WANTED TO LAND SOON. FINALLY AGREED WITH COMPANY TO LAND AT CRP. DECLARED AN EMER AND HEADED FOR CRP. WHILE HDG TO CRP WE FOUND THE COMPRESSOR STALL CHKLIST WE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR AND ACCOMPLISHED THE LIST. WE WERE ABLE TO RECOVER #1 ENG TO 1.5 EPR BEFORE EGT GOT TO CAUTION RANGE. CONTACTED COMPANY DISPATCH AND MAINT AGAIN AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE SAFE TO DIVERT DO DFW (HAD CUSTOMS AVAILABLE AND COMPANY MAINT). RELAYED THIS TO ZHU AND TOLD THEM WE HAD RECOVERED SIGNIFICANT ENG PWR ON #1 AND WERE NO LONGER AN EMER, REQUESTED VECTOR TO DFW. APPROX 45 MINS LATER WE LANDED AT DFW WITHOUT INCIDENT. CRASH EQUIP STOOD BY EVEN THOUGH I HAD TOLD TWR AT DFW THAT WE DIDN'T NEED THEM. SECURED L ENG AFTER LNDG.
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.