Narrative:

We were climbing through 6000 ft; just past jgirl intersection on the nobly 2 departure when there was a loud bang and the aircraft shuddered. First thought was maybe a large bird strike but we had not seen one. Then there was another bang and shudder and we noticed that the left engine EPR was back to about 1.73 EPR and it became obvious that the left engine was compressor stalling. We disconnected the autothrottles and throttled back the left engine to idle and informed ATC that we would be returning to the airport. The first officer continued flying while I worked the radios and coordinated with the flight attendants. We leveled off at 7000 ft and turned north. We discussed shutting the engine down but elected to keep it running since the stalls stopped at idle and everything else looked normal. ATC vectored us around for the visual to runway 17L. We ran the before landing checklist and set up the ILS frequency for guidance. The first officer disconnected the autoplt and flew a visual approach using only the right engine. Landing was uneventful. Dfw crash fire rescue equipment met the aircraft and inspected the left engine and found nothing unusual and then followed us to the gate with no further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MD80 EXPERIENCES COMPRESSOR STALLS IN L ENG SHORTLY AFTER TKOF. RETURN TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 6000 FT; JUST PAST JGIRL INTXN ON THE NOBLY 2 DEP WHEN THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AND THE ACFT SHUDDERED. FIRST THOUGHT WAS MAYBE A LARGE BIRD STRIKE BUT WE HAD NOT SEEN ONE. THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER BANG AND SHUDDER AND WE NOTICED THAT THE L ENG EPR WAS BACK TO ABOUT 1.73 EPR AND IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE L ENG WAS COMPRESSOR STALLING. WE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOTHROTTLES AND THROTTLED BACK THE L ENG TO IDLE AND INFORMED ATC THAT WE WOULD BE RETURNING TO THE ARPT. THE FO CONTINUED FLYING WHILE I WORKED THE RADIOS AND COORDINATED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS. WE LEVELED OFF AT 7000 FT AND TURNED N. WE DISCUSSED SHUTTING THE ENG DOWN BUT ELECTED TO KEEP IT RUNNING SINCE THE STALLS STOPPED AT IDLE AND EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKED NORMAL. ATC VECTORED US AROUND FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 17L. WE RAN THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST AND SET UP THE ILS FREQ FOR GUIDANCE. THE FO DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND FLEW A VISUAL APCH USING ONLY THE R ENG. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. DFW CFR MET THE ACFT AND INSPECTED THE L ENG AND FOUND NOTHING UNUSUAL AND THEN FOLLOWED US TO THE GATE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.