Narrative:

Flight XXXX took off from ZZZ at approximately XA30L and began a climb with WX deviations due to multiple thunderstorm cells throughout the south of the state. Climb through FL180 was uneventful except for continuous light to occasional moderate chop (flight attendants were told to remain seated throughout). Engine anti-ice was turned on at approximately FL180. Flight XXXX was heading about 340 degrees in the climb. Flight XXXX leveled at FL230 per ATC instructions; and then received a climb clearance to FL320. At the time clearance was received; first officer noticed an acrid smell and the left engine vibration indicator in the amber/caution range. He called on interphone to flight attendants to confirm they smelled the acrid odor as well; and they did. First officer then suggested and captain approved closing the left engine bleed and both reconfirmed that the engine anti-ice was turned on. Increasing high frequency rumble was noted; engine N1 began to roll back; and egt began to climb to 900 degrees C. During debrief; cabin crew mentioned that there were loud bangs heard during this time. Captain then declared an emergency with ARTCC and requested a left turn to heading 180 degrees and descent to return to ZZZ. Engine power was reduced and the captain performed the engine failure/fire/severe damage QRH procedure as the first officer descended the aircraft in heavy precipitation and moderate turbulence. The WX conditions persisted for about the first 40 mi of the 80+ mi return to ZZZ. Captain then performed the single engine landing and normal descent checklist; while also advising flight attendants that a normal landing without ground evacuate/evacuation was planned. Captain also called operations to coordination for a tug to tow aircraft in from the runway after landing. Captain made 2 PA's during the descent to reassure the passenger that the situation was well in hand. First officer performed an ILS to runway 26L approach in VMC and strong gusty xwinds with touchdown at approximately XB08L. Overweight landing was firm but not hard at 229000 pounds gross weight. Flight XXXX cleared the runway; confirmed with crash fire rescue equipment that there was no sign of fire or smoke from the damaged left engine; then shut down the right engine and awaited a tow-in to the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 CREW EXPERIENCED A STRONG SMELL; FOLLOWED BY HIGH ENG EGT; AND RPM ROLLBACK. EMER DECLARED AND CREW RETURN LAND.

Narrative: FLT XXXX TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ AT APPROX XA30L AND BEGAN A CLB WITH WX DEVS DUE TO MULTIPLE TSTM CELLS THROUGHOUT THE S OF THE STATE. CLB THROUGH FL180 WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR CONTINUOUS LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE CHOP (FLT ATTENDANTS WERE TOLD TO REMAIN SEATED THROUGHOUT). ENG ANTI-ICE WAS TURNED ON AT APPROX FL180. FLT XXXX WAS HDG ABOUT 340 DEGS IN THE CLB. FLT XXXX LEVELED AT FL230 PER ATC INSTRUCTIONS; AND THEN RECEIVED A CLB CLRNC TO FL320. AT THE TIME CLRNC WAS RECEIVED; FO NOTICED AN ACRID SMELL AND THE L ENG VIBRATION INDICATOR IN THE AMBER/CAUTION RANGE. HE CALLED ON INTERPHONE TO FLT ATTENDANTS TO CONFIRM THEY SMELLED THE ACRID ODOR AS WELL; AND THEY DID. FO THEN SUGGESTED AND CAPT APPROVED CLOSING THE L ENG BLEED AND BOTH RECONFIRMED THAT THE ENG ANTI-ICE WAS TURNED ON. INCREASING HIGH FREQ RUMBLE WAS NOTED; ENG N1 BEGAN TO ROLL BACK; AND EGT BEGAN TO CLB TO 900 DEGS C. DURING DEBRIEF; CABIN CREW MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE LOUD BANGS HEARD DURING THIS TIME. CAPT THEN DECLARED AN EMER WITH ARTCC AND REQUESTED A L TURN TO HDG 180 DEGS AND DSCNT TO RETURN TO ZZZ. ENG PWR WAS REDUCED AND THE CAPT PERFORMED THE ENG FAILURE/FIRE/SEVERE DAMAGE QRH PROC AS THE FO DSNDED THE ACFT IN HVY PRECIP AND MODERATE TURB. THE WX CONDITIONS PERSISTED FOR ABOUT THE FIRST 40 MI OF THE 80+ MI RETURN TO ZZZ. CAPT THEN PERFORMED THE SINGLE ENG LNDG AND NORMAL DSCNT CHKLIST; WHILE ALSO ADVISING FLT ATTENDANTS THAT A NORMAL LNDG WITHOUT GND EVAC WAS PLANNED. CAPT ALSO CALLED OPS TO COORD FOR A TUG TO TOW ACFT IN FROM THE RWY AFTER LNDG. CAPT MADE 2 PA'S DURING THE DSCNT TO REASSURE THE PAX THAT THE SIT WAS WELL IN HAND. FO PERFORMED AN ILS TO RWY 26L APCH IN VMC AND STRONG GUSTY XWINDS WITH TOUCHDOWN AT APPROX XB08L. OVERWT LNDG WAS FIRM BUT NOT HARD AT 229000 LBS GROSS WT. FLT XXXX CLRED THE RWY; CONFIRMED WITH CFR THAT THERE WAS NO SIGN OF FIRE OR SMOKE FROM THE DAMAGED L ENG; THEN SHUT DOWN THE R ENG AND AWAITED A TOW-IN 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.