Narrative:

At 11000 ft MSL, I thought msp approach control said 'I need that 170 speed now.' I thought it was for our aircraft, so I retarded the throttles aggressively to idle. I had first officer confirm call. ATC said it was for another aircraft, so I pushed up the throttles aggressively. As I did, we started to get a rumble/compressor stall. I pulled all 3 engines back a bit. Rumble stopped. I tried to determine which engine it was. No luck, except #1 EPR needle was bouncing about 1/2 needle width. So I pushed up 2 and 3 no problem. As a precaution, I had the first officer open the #1 engine anti-ice. The #1 EPR was not bouncing anymore, closed #1 engine anti-ice and pushed up #1 throttle. No further problems. Flight attendants called. We told them that it was not a problem, just a minor compression stall on the engines. As it was a pilot-induced problem and no real problem with the engine and we were not able to determine which engine it was, we did not put it in the logbook. The next captain to fly the aircraft and I talked about it on the phone. The following day I found out that the outbound captain talked to inbound flight attendants and they told them to be careful as the engines had problems. I further found out that 'someone,' not me, wrote up that the #2 engine had compressor stalls on arrival into msp. I assume it was the outbound captain. But, he did not put an employee number on logbook write-up. In hindsight, I could have written up, 'pilot induced compressor stalls on arrival at 11000 ft, was unable to determine which engine. All operations normal prior to and after pilot induced compressor stall due to rapid throttle movement.' I guess that would have been the best course of action due to confusion and would have cleared the air for outbound crew and maintenance.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 ON DSCNT AT 11000 FT INCURRED AN OFF IDLE STALL ON 1 ENG WHEN ADVANCING THRUST LEVERS. ENG NOT IDENTED. ITEM NOT ENTERED IN LOGBOOK.

Narrative: AT 11000 FT MSL, I THOUGHT MSP APCH CTL SAID 'I NEED THAT 170 SPD NOW.' I THOUGHT IT WAS FOR OUR ACFT, SO I RETARDED THE THROTTLES AGGRESSIVELY TO IDLE. I HAD FO CONFIRM CALL. ATC SAID IT WAS FOR ANOTHER ACFT, SO I PUSHED UP THE THROTTLES AGGRESSIVELY. AS I DID, WE STARTED TO GET A RUMBLE/COMPRESSOR STALL. I PULLED ALL 3 ENGS BACK A BIT. RUMBLE STOPPED. I TRIED TO DETERMINE WHICH ENG IT WAS. NO LUCK, EXCEPT #1 EPR NEEDLE WAS BOUNCING ABOUT 1/2 NEEDLE WIDTH. SO I PUSHED UP 2 AND 3 NO PROB. AS A PRECAUTION, I HAD THE FO OPEN THE #1 ENG ANTI-ICE. THE #1 EPR WAS NOT BOUNCING ANYMORE, CLOSED #1 ENG ANTI-ICE AND PUSHED UP #1 THROTTLE. NO FURTHER PROBS. FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED. WE TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS NOT A PROB, JUST A MINOR COMPRESSION STALL ON THE ENGS. AS IT WAS A PLT-INDUCED PROB AND NO REAL PROB WITH THE ENG AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH ENG IT WAS, WE DID NOT PUT IT IN THE LOGBOOK. THE NEXT CAPT TO FLY THE ACFT AND I TALKED ABOUT IT ON THE PHONE. THE FOLLOWING DAY I FOUND OUT THAT THE OUTBOUND CAPT TALKED TO INBOUND FLT ATTENDANTS AND THEY TOLD THEM TO BE CAREFUL AS THE ENGS HAD PROBS. I FURTHER FOUND OUT THAT 'SOMEONE,' NOT ME, WROTE UP THAT THE #2 ENG HAD COMPRESSOR STALLS ON ARR INTO MSP. I ASSUME IT WAS THE OUTBOUND CAPT. BUT, HE DID NOT PUT AN EMPLOYEE NUMBER ON LOGBOOK WRITE-UP. IN HINDSIGHT, I COULD HAVE WRITTEN UP, 'PLT INDUCED COMPRESSOR STALLS ON ARR AT 11000 FT, WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH ENG. ALL OPS NORMAL PRIOR TO AND AFTER PLT INDUCED COMPRESSOR STALL DUE TO RAPID THROTTLE MOVEMENT.' I GUESS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION DUE TO CONFUSION AND WOULD HAVE CLRED THE AIR FOR OUTBOUND CREW AND MAINT.

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.