Narrative:

On oct/thu/02, we planned to fly from okc to las. The WX in okc was about 600 ft overcast ceiling, 2 mi visibility with light rain, temperature in the upper 40's (F). After engine start, engine anti-ice was selected due to the low temperatures and visible moisture. Prior to starting the takeoff roll from runway 35L, power was advanced to 70% N1 for 15 seconds for anti-ice considerations, then takeoff thrust was set to 2.20 EPR on all 3 engines. After takeoff and during flap retraction, the flight engineer noticed that #2 EPR had dropped to 1.6 and notified the rest of the crew. The captain notified oklahoma city departure that we requested to make a precautionary landing. They asked if we were declaring an emergency and the captain replied 'not at this time.' this is because we weren't sure if we had an actual engine problem or an indication problem. After xchking all of the other engine instruments and verifying that engine anti-ice was on and operational, it was determined that we did have an engine problem and that a precautionary landing back at okc was indeed the best course of action. The flight engineer asked the captain if he wanted to dump fuel in order to attain our maximum landing weight, which is 160000 pounds. We were currently at about 172000 pounds. I (first officer) checked the landing performance numbers for the runway of intended landing and advised the captain that landing could be made under the current conditions up to 190000 pounds. The captain decided not to dump fuel, presumably because of the bad WX, and decided to do an overweight landing. I continued to fly the aircraft and made an ILS approach to runway 35R with a normal touchdown and landing at 170000 pounds. We cleared the runway and taxied back to the gate. What we failed to do as a crew is declare an emergency. Therefore, we broke the far's and company policy by landing overweight without declaring an emergency. I believe that because there was some confusion initially as to whether or not we actually had an engine problem, we delayed declaring an emergency. We had to accomplish a large number of tasks (checklists, setting up and briefing the approach, etc) in a short amount of time (we were in the air only about 15 seconds). As the situation unfolded, we got so wrapped up in getting the aircraft back down on the ground safely that we simply forgot to declare an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 CREW, DEPARTING OKC, EXPERIENCED AN ENG PROB, PROMPTING A RETURN AND OVERWT LNDG AT OKC.

Narrative: ON OCT/THU/02, WE PLANNED TO FLY FROM OKC TO LAS. THE WX IN OKC WAS ABOUT 600 FT OVCST CEILING, 2 MI VISIBILITY WITH LIGHT RAIN, TEMP IN THE UPPER 40'S (F). AFTER ENG START, ENG ANTI-ICE WAS SELECTED DUE TO THE LOW TEMPS AND VISIBLE MOISTURE. PRIOR TO STARTING THE TKOF ROLL FROM RWY 35L, PWR WAS ADVANCED TO 70% N1 FOR 15 SECONDS FOR ANTI-ICE CONSIDERATIONS, THEN TKOF THRUST WAS SET TO 2.20 EPR ON ALL 3 ENGS. AFTER TKOF AND DURING FLAP RETRACTION, THE FE NOTICED THAT #2 EPR HAD DROPPED TO 1.6 AND NOTIFIED THE REST OF THE CREW. THE CAPT NOTIFIED OKLAHOMA CITY DEP THAT WE REQUESTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. THEY ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER AND THE CAPT REPLIED 'NOT AT THIS TIME.' THIS IS BECAUSE WE WEREN'T SURE IF WE HAD AN ACTUAL ENG PROB OR AN INDICATION PROB. AFTER XCHKING ALL OF THE OTHER ENG INSTS AND VERIFYING THAT ENG ANTI-ICE WAS ON AND OPERATIONAL, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE DID HAVE AN ENG PROB AND THAT A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG BACK AT OKC WAS INDEED THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. THE FE ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WANTED TO DUMP FUEL IN ORDER TO ATTAIN OUR MAX LNDG WT, WHICH IS 160000 LBS. WE WERE CURRENTLY AT ABOUT 172000 LBS. I (FO) CHKED THE LNDG PERFORMANCE NUMBERS FOR THE RWY OF INTENDED LNDG AND ADVISED THE CAPT THAT LNDG COULD BE MADE UNDER THE CURRENT CONDITIONS UP TO 190000 LBS. THE CAPT DECIDED NOT TO DUMP FUEL, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE OF THE BAD WX, AND DECIDED TO DO AN OVERWT LNDG. I CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT AND MADE AN ILS APCH TO RWY 35R WITH A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN AND LNDG AT 170000 LBS. WE CLRED THE RWY AND TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE. WHAT WE FAILED TO DO AS A CREW IS DECLARE AN EMER. THEREFORE, WE BROKE THE FAR'S AND COMPANY POLICY BY LNDG OVERWT WITHOUT DECLARING AN EMER. I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION INITIALLY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE ACTUALLY HAD AN ENG PROB, WE DELAYED DECLARING AN EMER. WE HAD TO ACCOMPLISH A LARGE NUMBER OF TASKS (CHKLISTS, SETTING UP AND BRIEFING THE APCH, ETC) IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME (WE WERE IN THE AIR ONLY ABOUT 15 SECONDS). AS THE SIT UNFOLDED, WE GOT SO WRAPPED UP IN GETTING THE ACFT BACK DOWN ON THE GND SAFELY THAT WE SIMPLY FORGOT TO DECLARE AN EMER.

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.