Narrative:

During climb out through 19500 ft we had exited icing conditions and were securing engine and wing anti ice when we heard a loud boom and the aircraft shuddered. I looked at the engine instruments and noticed a left engine oil pressure 'low' light and left engine egt higher than the right; but still within limits. N1 and N2 were spinning and we had oil pressure on the left engine. Oil quantity was approximately 1 quart. I turned off the autothrottles and retarded the left engine to idle. I asked the first officer to declare an emergency and to request clearance back to ZZZ. Flight attendant called and said a dead heading captain looked at the engine and said he could see no apparent damage. Flight attendants did not report any unusual vibration; sounds; or smell after the initial boom. We completed applicable portions of engine oil pressure low checklist and reviewed in-flight engine fail/damage checklist. I started the APU and decided to keep the left engine at idle because there was no indication of damage or seizure and we had oil pressure. I briefed the flight attendants and then made a PA letting the passenger know we had had an engine problem and were returning to ZZZ; and that I would update them after landing. We made a flaps 28 degree landing using single engine procedures with the left throttle at idle to runway xx at ZZZ. During rollout; we shut down the left engine and taxied clear of the runway. I asked arff to inspect the left engine and they reported nothing unusual except an oil leak visible on the left cowling. We then taxied to the gate. Supplemental information from acn 647209: we departed from ZZZ in icing conditions. Callback conversation with reporter acn 647481 revealed the following information: pilot stated that feedback from his air carrier maintenance indicated the #3 compressor thrust bearing failed. His visual inspection of the engine at the gate revealed a normal looking compressor section; but a completely blown out turbine section.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW EXPERIENCED A L ENG BOOM; LOW OIL QUANTITY; HIGHER EGT REMAINING WITHIN LIMITS. DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT THROUGH 19500 FT WE HAD EXITED ICING CONDITIONS AND WERE SECURING ENG AND WING ANTI ICE WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD BOOM AND THE ACFT SHUDDERED. I LOOKED AT THE ENG INSTRUMENTS AND NOTICED A L ENG OIL PRESSURE 'LOW' LIGHT AND L ENG EGT HIGHER THAN THE R; BUT STILL WITHIN LIMITS. N1 AND N2 WERE SPINNING AND WE HAD OIL PRESSURE ON THE L ENG. OIL QUANTITY WAS APPROX 1 QUART. I TURNED OFF THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND RETARDED THE L ENG TO IDLE. I ASKED THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMER AND TO REQUEST CLRNC BACK TO ZZZ. FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND SAID A DEAD HEADING CAPT LOOKED AT THE ENG AND SAID HE COULD SEE NO APPARENT DAMAGE. FLT ATTENDANTS DID NOT RPT ANY UNUSUAL VIBRATION; SOUNDS; OR SMELL AFTER THE INITIAL BOOM. WE COMPLETED APPLICABLE PORTIONS OF ENG OIL PRESSURE LOW CHKLIST AND REVIEWED INFLT ENG FAIL/DAMAGE CHKLIST. I STARTED THE APU AND DECIDED TO KEEP THE L ENG AT IDLE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF DAMAGE OR SEIZURE AND WE HAD OIL PRESSURE. I BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THEN MADE A PA LETTING THE PAX KNOW WE HAD HAD AN ENG PROB AND WERE RETURNING TO ZZZ; AND THAT I WOULD UPDATE THEM AFTER LNDG. WE MADE A FLAPS 28 DEG LNDG USING SINGLE ENG PROCEDURES WITH THE L THROTTLE AT IDLE TO RWY XX AT ZZZ. DURING ROLLOUT; WE SHUT DOWN THE L ENG AND TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY. I ASKED ARFF TO INSPECT THE L ENG AND THEY RPTED NOTHING UNUSUAL EXCEPT AN OIL LEAK VISIBLE ON THE L COWLING. WE THEN TAXIED TO THE GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 647209: WE DEPARTED FROM ZZZ IN ICING CONDITIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 647481 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT STATED THAT FEEDBACK FROM HIS ACR MAINT INDICATED THE #3 COMPRESSOR THRUST BEARING FAILED. HIS VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENG AT THE GATE REVEALED A NORMAL LOOKING COMPRESSOR SECTION; BUT A COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT TURBINE SECTION.

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.