Narrative:

Flight AC was scheduled from san francisco to seattle. Pushback, startup of engines and taxi out were all normal. Takeoff was from runway 1R with an air carrier Y B737 departing on parallel runway 1L alongside. After rotation, tower advised us of sparks coming out our left engine. Sparks also confirmed by air carrier Y B737 now just aft left and slightly below. All engine instruments indicated normal. Declared emergency with tower and was cleared for right downwind to runway 28R. Continued to leave engine running because attempting to shut down a 'possible' faulty or malfunctioning engine without the appropriate indications in the cockpit could lead to shutting down the wrong engine. Made normal approach and landing and taxi back to gate with emergency vehicles escorting. Total time airborne approximately 7 mins. Maintenance found metal particles in exhaust area. Things I learned from this: human performance considerations -- while most everyone can walk and chew gum, I believe very few pilots can fly and at the same time make good command decisions. It became very apparent to me as I was flying and the tower and my first officer were bombarding me as to my intentions while I was trying to analyze the problem and maintain control of the aircraft. Realizing this, I immediately xferred flying responsibilities to the first officer. This reduced my workload tremendously and I was now free to 'direct' the flight rather than work the flight. I had first officer handle communication with ATC while I got on the flight interphone to quickly brief the flight attendants. Then I got on the PA and told the passenger what was going on. Then I called company to tell them I was returning. Then I ran all the appropriate checklists. After I felt I had 'checked all the blocks' I took over ATC from the first officer and everything concluded successfully. Short fused emergencys such as this are a true litmus test on crew resource management. The training I received in CRM from my company was invaluable in handling this emergency. Feel free to call me for testimonials.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MD80 RETURNED TO LAND AFTER TWR CTLR SAID THAT SPARKS WERE OBSERVED COMING OUT OF THE L ENG DURING TKOF. ANOTHER ACR TAKING OFF ON THE OTHER PARALLEL RWY TO THE L REAR ALSO ADVISED OF SPARKS COMING FROM THE ENG.

Narrative: FLT AC WAS SCHEDULED FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO SEATTLE. PUSHBACK, STARTUP OF ENGS AND TAXI OUT WERE ALL NORMAL. TKOF WAS FROM RWY 1R WITH AN ACR Y B737 DEPARTING ON PARALLEL RWY 1L ALONGSIDE. AFTER ROTATION, TWR ADVISED US OF SPARKS COMING OUT OUR L ENG. SPARKS ALSO CONFIRMED BY ACR Y B737 NOW JUST AFT L AND SLIGHTLY BELOW. ALL ENG INSTS INDICATED NORMAL. DECLARED EMER WITH TWR AND WAS CLRED FOR R DOWNWIND TO RWY 28R. CONTINUED TO LEAVE ENG RUNNING BECAUSE ATTEMPTING TO SHUT DOWN A 'POSSIBLE' FAULTY OR MALFUNCTIONING ENG WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT COULD LEAD TO SHUTTING DOWN THE WRONG ENG. MADE NORMAL APCH AND LNDG AND TAXI BACK TO GATE WITH EMER VEHICLES ESCORTING. TOTAL TIME AIRBORNE APPROX 7 MINS. MAINT FOUND METAL PARTICLES IN EXHAUST AREA. THINGS I LEARNED FROM THIS: HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS -- WHILE MOST EVERYONE CAN WALK AND CHEW GUM, I BELIEVE VERY FEW PLTS CAN FLY AND AT THE SAME TIME MAKE GOOD COMMAND DECISIONS. IT BECAME VERY APPARENT TO ME AS I WAS FLYING AND THE TWR AND MY FO WERE BOMBARDING ME AS TO MY INTENTIONS WHILE I WAS TRYING TO ANALYZE THE PROB AND MAINTAIN CTL OF THE ACFT. REALIZING THIS, I IMMEDIATELY XFERRED FLYING RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE FO. THIS REDUCED MY WORKLOAD TREMENDOUSLY AND I WAS NOW FREE TO 'DIRECT' THE FLT RATHER THAN WORK THE FLT. I HAD FO HANDLE COM WITH ATC WHILE I GOT ON THE FLT INTERPHONE TO QUICKLY BRIEF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THEN I GOT ON THE PA AND TOLD THE PAX WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEN I CALLED COMPANY TO TELL THEM I WAS RETURNING. THEN I RAN ALL THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. AFTER I FELT I HAD 'CHKED ALL THE BLOCKS' I TOOK OVER ATC FROM THE FO AND EVERYTHING CONCLUDED SUCCESSFULLY. SHORT FUSED EMERS SUCH AS THIS ARE A TRUE LITMUS TEST ON CREW RESOURCE MGMNT. THE TRAINING I RECEIVED IN CRM FROM MY COMPANY WAS INVALUABLE IN HANDLING THIS EMER. FEEL FREE TO CALL ME FOR TESTIMONIALS.

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.