Narrative:

After takeoff from dfw, about 15-20 mins in-flight, we had engine trouble. There was a very loud noise, a big bang. Felt like it jolted the plane. It scared the passenger and crew. I personally thought that it was a bomb at first that went off down below, probably because of all the media talk and our security briefings. Plus, we were going to dca. 4 chimes went off and #1 and #2 were talking to the captain, via phone. I (#4 flight attendant) started to put everything away in the aft galley, securing everything. #2 flight attendant and I were checking the lavatories frequently for fire/smoke. Captain made PA informing the passenger about the engine and assured them everything was ok. Said we were returning to dfw and that there would be fire trucks waiting for us. I walked through main cabin and made sure window exits were clear and that passenger were ready for landing (seatbelts, seatbacks up and everything stowed). We had our unaccompanied minor. He was 6 yrs old. Made sure the man next to him would help him if anything came of this. Made sure unaccompanied minor knew that he (the man next to him) was ok (not a stranger). Returned the aft main cabin and doublechked galleys were secure and exits clear. Took #4 jumpseat, aft galley door. We landed without incident, no injuries. I'm still unclr about what happened to our engine. I know that it was leaking fluid and something about a compressor. Also, no supervisor showed up until we called and we felt like we were a big inconvenience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THAT THE CAPT RETURNED TO DFW AFTER EXPERIENCING WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN EXPLOSIVE ENG COMPRESSOR STALL.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM DFW, ABOUT 15-20 MINS INFLT, WE HAD ENG TROUBLE. THERE WAS A VERY LOUD NOISE, A BIG BANG. FELT LIKE IT JOLTED THE PLANE. IT SCARED THE PAX AND CREW. I PERSONALLY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A BOMB AT FIRST THAT WENT OFF DOWN BELOW, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE MEDIA TALK AND OUR SECURITY BRIEFINGS. PLUS, WE WERE GOING TO DCA. 4 CHIMES WENT OFF AND #1 AND #2 WERE TALKING TO THE CAPT, VIA PHONE. I (#4 FLT ATTENDANT) STARTED TO PUT EVERYTHING AWAY IN THE AFT GALLEY, SECURING EVERYTHING. #2 FLT ATTENDANT AND I WERE CHKING THE LAVATORIES FREQUENTLY FOR FIRE/SMOKE. CAPT MADE PA INFORMING THE PAX ABOUT THE ENG AND ASSURED THEM EVERYTHING WAS OK. SAID WE WERE RETURNING TO DFW AND THAT THERE WOULD BE FIRE TRUCKS WAITING FOR US. I WALKED THROUGH MAIN CABIN AND MADE SURE WINDOW EXITS WERE CLR AND THAT PAX WERE READY FOR LNDG (SEATBELTS, SEATBACKS UP AND EVERYTHING STOWED). WE HAD OUR UNACCOMPANIED MINOR. HE WAS 6 YRS OLD. MADE SURE THE MAN NEXT TO HIM WOULD HELP HIM IF ANYTHING CAME OF THIS. MADE SURE UNACCOMPANIED MINOR KNEW THAT HE (THE MAN NEXT TO HIM) WAS OK (NOT A STRANGER). RETURNED THE AFT MAIN CABIN AND DOUBLECHKED GALLEYS WERE SECURE AND EXITS CLR. TOOK #4 JUMPSEAT, AFT GALLEY DOOR. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, NO INJURIES. I'M STILL UNCLR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR ENG. I KNOW THAT IT WAS LEAKING FLUID AND SOMETHING ABOUT A COMPRESSOR. ALSO, NO SUPVR SHOWED UP UNTIL WE CALLED AND WE FELT LIKE WE WERE A BIG INCONVENIENCE.

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.