Narrative:

Flight (atl-ord) on oct/xa/99, ship #xx, pushed back from gate at XA25L for an XA42L departure. Stated both engines and taxied to runway 8R at atlanta hartsfield airport. Takeoff gross weight was 140100 pounds. Climb performance weight limit was 150600 pounds and runway allowable weight limit was 144800 pounds. We set up for a reduced thrust (at 35) flaps 11 degrees takeoff. Our departure was delayed until XA51L so we held short of the runway with both engines running. The outside temperature was 16 degrees C so no engine anti-ice was used. At XA51L we were cleared on the runway (8R) for takeoff. The captain was flying so he initiated a rolling takeoff. Per procedure, he advanced the throttles to 1.4 EPR and called for autothrottles to be engaged. I engaged the throttles and watched the engines as they advanced to takeoff power. At 80 KTS I noticed #1 engine only advanced to 90% N1, while #2 engine was at 93-94% N1. I looked at the EPR gauges and saw that the #1 engine was not at full computed takeoff thrust (about .04 below the bugged limit. I told the captain to push it up (all other indications were within limits and no warning lights). He slowly advanced the throttle (during this time we were continuing to accelerate). He advanced the throttle fully with no effect. By now we were at approximately 120 KTS (V1 was 132, vr 143, V2 151). Because of our speed, our heavy weight, and the runway being wet, he elected to continue the takeoff. We lifted off and climbed normally to 5000 ft MSL. The captain retarded and advanced the left throttle (after we applied engine anti-ice to both engines) and it responded sluggishly, we elected to return to atlanta and performed an uneventful flaps 28 degree landing. On the ground, the engine was shut down and the aircraft turned over to maintenance. We switched aircraft and continued our flight. While a rejected takeoff was an option (we were 10-15 KTS below V1), I feel the captain's decision was the correct one, based on our situation (heavy weight, wet runway, high speed, 1 engine performing normally and the other putting out 80-90% of normal thrust). Supplemental information from acn 451906: throttles advanced for takeoff, left engine was slow compared to right engine. Stabilized throttle movement until left engine matched right EPR above 1.4 autothrottle selected. Takeoff was flex power (reduced) at 35 KTS. At 80 KTS first officer noted left N1 90%, right N1 93%. Advanced left throttle to match right and received no response. Takeoff continued, due to airspeed above 100 KTS. V1 was 138 KTS. After takeoff climb power was selected, during clean up, and power seemed to match. Plan was to level off at intermediate altitude, contact company, and complete required checklist for return to atlanta. Left engine responded extremely slowly to throttle movement after leveloff at 5000 ft MSL. Aircraft was on downwind, an emergency was declared, descent and approach checklist accomplished and approach control expedited a recovery to atl runway 8L. Single engine procedures were utilized with left engine at idle power. Left engine was shut down after landing. No exceedance was observed entire flight and left engine never decayed below idle power.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD LOW ENG PWR FOR TKOF.

Narrative: FLT (ATL-ORD) ON OCT/XA/99, SHIP #XX, PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AT XA25L FOR AN XA42L DEP. STATED BOTH ENGS AND TAXIED TO RWY 8R AT ATLANTA HARTSFIELD ARPT. TKOF GROSS WT WAS 140100 LBS. CLB PERFORMANCE WT LIMIT WAS 150600 LBS AND RWY ALLOWABLE WT LIMIT WAS 144800 LBS. WE SET UP FOR A REDUCED THRUST (AT 35) FLAPS 11 DEGS TKOF. OUR DEP WAS DELAYED UNTIL XA51L SO WE HELD SHORT OF THE RWY WITH BOTH ENGS RUNNING. THE OUTSIDE TEMP WAS 16 DEGS C SO NO ENG ANTI-ICE WAS USED. AT XA51L WE WERE CLRED ON THE RWY (8R) FOR TKOF. THE CAPT WAS FLYING SO HE INITIATED A ROLLING TKOF. PER PROC, HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLES TO 1.4 EPR AND CALLED FOR AUTOTHROTTLES TO BE ENGAGED. I ENGAGED THE THROTTLES AND WATCHED THE ENGS AS THEY ADVANCED TO TKOF PWR. AT 80 KTS I NOTICED #1 ENG ONLY ADVANCED TO 90% N1, WHILE #2 ENG WAS AT 93-94% N1. I LOOKED AT THE EPR GAUGES AND SAW THAT THE #1 ENG WAS NOT AT FULL COMPUTED TKOF THRUST (ABOUT .04 BELOW THE BUGGED LIMIT. I TOLD THE CAPT TO PUSH IT UP (ALL OTHER INDICATIONS WERE WITHIN LIMITS AND NO WARNING LIGHTS). HE SLOWLY ADVANCED THE THROTTLE (DURING THIS TIME WE WERE CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE). HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE FULLY WITH NO EFFECT. BY NOW WE WERE AT APPROX 120 KTS (V1 WAS 132, VR 143, V2 151). BECAUSE OF OUR SPD, OUR HVY WT, AND THE RWY BEING WET, HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TKOF. WE LIFTED OFF AND CLBED NORMALLY TO 5000 FT MSL. THE CAPT RETARDED AND ADVANCED THE L THROTTLE (AFTER WE APPLIED ENG ANTI-ICE TO BOTH ENGS) AND IT RESPONDED SLUGGISHLY, WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO ATLANTA AND PERFORMED AN UNEVENTFUL FLAPS 28 DEG LNDG. ON THE GND, THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE ACFT TURNED OVER TO MAINT. WE SWITCHED ACFT AND CONTINUED OUR FLT. WHILE A REJECTED TKOF WAS AN OPTION (WE WERE 10-15 KTS BELOW V1), I FEEL THE CAPT'S DECISION WAS THE CORRECT ONE, BASED ON OUR SIT (HVY WT, WET RWY, HIGH SPD, 1 ENG PERFORMING NORMALLY AND THE OTHER PUTTING OUT 80-90% OF NORMAL THRUST). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 451906: THROTTLES ADVANCED FOR TKOF, L ENG WAS SLOW COMPARED TO R ENG. STABILIZED THROTTLE MOVEMENT UNTIL L ENG MATCHED R EPR ABOVE 1.4 AUTOTHROTTLE SELECTED. TKOF WAS FLEX PWR (REDUCED) AT 35 KTS. AT 80 KTS FO NOTED L N1 90%, R N1 93%. ADVANCED L THROTTLE TO MATCH R AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. TKOF CONTINUED, DUE TO AIRSPD ABOVE 100 KTS. V1 WAS 138 KTS. AFTER TKOF CLB PWR WAS SELECTED, DURING CLEAN UP, AND PWR SEEMED TO MATCH. PLAN WAS TO LEVEL OFF AT INTERMEDIATE ALT, CONTACT COMPANY, AND COMPLETE REQUIRED CHKLIST FOR RETURN TO ATLANTA. L ENG RESPONDED EXTREMELY SLOWLY TO THROTTLE MOVEMENT AFTER LEVELOFF AT 5000 FT MSL. ACFT WAS ON DOWNWIND, AN EMER WAS DECLARED, DSCNT AND APCH CHKLIST ACCOMPLISHED AND APCH CTL EXPEDITED A RECOVERY TO ATL RWY 8L. SINGLE ENG PROCS WERE UTILIZED WITH L ENG AT IDLE PWR. L ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AFTER LNDG. NO EXCEEDANCE WAS OBSERVED ENTIRE FLT AND L ENG NEVER DECAYED BELOW IDLE PWR.

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.