Narrative:

During climb out passing approximately FL220; I felt the aircraft move slightly. At first I thought it was just turbulence; but when I looked at the engine instruments; it became obvious that the right engine was experiencing momentary thrust degradations. The right EPR gauge indicated significant decrease in thrust about 2 times with no change in throttle position. This indication was accompanied with minor aircraft yaw. Thrust degradation in each case was only momentary; and the engine quickly returned to normal thrust level. To my knowledge; no engine limits were exceeded. We notified ATC and received clearance to level off at FL240. The engine operated normally after this leveloff. With the engine now operating normally; the captain requested a heading for hnl from ATC. We both agreed that we did not want to continue the flight to lax given the circumstances. We discussed which airport we should divert to; and the captain advocated that since the engine was now working normally; he would like to go to hnl. He also said we could change the diversion airport if the engine problem returned. I agreed; and we took vectors for the julle arrival into hnl. The flight attendants in the aft galley called on the interphone to report that they had heard an irregular sound coming from the right engine at the time we experienced the thrust degradation. She later described it as a slurping sound. While the captain checked the flight manual and communicated with dispatch; the flight attendants and passenger; I flew the aircraft and talked to ATC. We then briefed that I would fly the approach into hnl given that the engine was operating normally. The captain stated that he would fly the approach if the engine anomaly returned. We discussed single engine approach procedures in case they became necessary. We continued descent for an uneventful visual approach to runway 4R at hnl. We made a normal taxi to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B757-200 EXPERIENCE ENG SURGES ON CLBOUT. MAKE PRECAUTIONARY DIVERSION TO HNL.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT PASSING APPROX FL220; I FELT THE ACFT MOVE SLIGHTLY. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST TURB; BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ENG INSTS; IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE R ENG WAS EXPERIENCING MOMENTARY THRUST DEGRADATIONS. THE R EPR GAUGE INDICATED SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THRUST ABOUT 2 TIMES WITH NO CHANGE IN THROTTLE POS. THIS INDICATION WAS ACCOMPANIED WITH MINOR ACFT YAW. THRUST DEGRADATION IN EACH CASE WAS ONLY MOMENTARY; AND THE ENG QUICKLY RETURNED TO NORMAL THRUST LEVEL. TO MY KNOWLEDGE; NO ENG LIMITS WERE EXCEEDED. WE NOTIFIED ATC AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO LEVEL OFF AT FL240. THE ENG OPERATED NORMALLY AFTER THIS LEVELOFF. WITH THE ENG NOW OPERATING NORMALLY; THE CAPT REQUESTED A HDG FOR HNL FROM ATC. WE BOTH AGREED THAT WE DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO LAX GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. WE DISCUSSED WHICH ARPT WE SHOULD DIVERT TO; AND THE CAPT ADVOCATED THAT SINCE THE ENG WAS NOW WORKING NORMALLY; HE WOULD LIKE TO GO TO HNL. HE ALSO SAID WE COULD CHANGE THE DIVERSION ARPT IF THE ENG PROB RETURNED. I AGREED; AND WE TOOK VECTORS FOR THE JULLE ARR INTO HNL. THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE AFT GALLEY CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE TO RPT THAT THEY HAD HEARD AN IRREGULAR SOUND COMING FROM THE R ENG AT THE TIME WE EXPERIENCED THE THRUST DEGRADATION. SHE LATER DESCRIBED IT AS A SLURPING SOUND. WHILE THE CAPT CHKED THE FLT MANUAL AND COMMUNICATED WITH DISPATCH; THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX; I FLEW THE ACFT AND TALKED TO ATC. WE THEN BRIEFED THAT I WOULD FLY THE APCH INTO HNL GIVEN THAT THE ENG WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE CAPT STATED THAT HE WOULD FLY THE APCH IF THE ENG ANOMALY RETURNED. WE DISCUSSED SINGLE ENG APCH PROCS IN CASE THEY BECAME NECESSARY. WE CONTINUED DSCNT FOR AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH TO RWY 4R AT HNL. WE MADE A NORMAL TAXI TO THE GATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.