Narrative:

Passing fl 185 and approximately 325 KTS; we selected maximum continuous thrust and began to bleed airspeed toward 300 KTS to make a climb restriction of intersection at FL270. Passing through FL200; we heard a loud bang followed immediately by RPM surge and egt rise and continued banging. After verifying trouble with the left engine we executed the engine limit/surge/stall qrc. With throttle at idle; compressor stalls ceased. Per the checklist; reapplication of power with bleed air switch off resumed compressor stalls. Throttle was retarded to idle and remained there for the duration of flight. We selected ZZZZ as the nearest suitable airport and coordinated with ATC to return there with fuel dumping along the way. Total fuel dumped was approximately 44000 pounds over 20 minutes of time. We notified dispatch and maintenance of our situation and intentions. We declared an emergency with ATC; briefed the flight attendants on the situation; and issued a 'cabin advisory.' during fuel dumping we prepared to accomplish a single engine approach and landing. Throughout this event we continued to brief the passenger about our situation and our intentions including the fuel dumping procedure and what they might notice. Our dumping vector was effectively an extended downwind to runway 26R. At the conclusion of the dumping we completed all appropriate checklists. ATC provided vectors to a 12 mile final to runway 26R. We performed an uneventful single engine approach and landing rolling out approximately 9000 ft down the runway before exiting. Landing weight was 340000 pounds with flaps reference speed of 159 KTS; a target speed of 164 KTS; autobrakes level 2 selected. Brake temperatures exiting the runway ranged from 1 to 3. We decided to taxi to the ramp. Entering the ramp the brake temperature light illuminated and temperatures had risen to 5' and 6's. We stopped the aircraft on the ramp; help position with the nosewheel chocked; advised 'apron;' and shut down the engines. During coordination with maintenance control and dispatch; the relief pilot was unable to utilize satcom due the function being unavailable on his communication panel. All communication with maintenance control and dispatch occurred through ACARS which was time consuming and inconvenient. Communication between cockpit and cabin was outstanding throughout the whole event and the favorable reaction of the passenger was in large part due to the professionalism of the cabin crew.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the 'bang' was louder than the classic engine stall and noted immediate N1 and N2 RPM surge and exhaust gas temperature rise. Any increase in thrust greater than idle power caused engine stalling. The thrust lever remained at idle. After declaring an emergency the fuel was dumped and ATC gave them a vector straight in to the runway. On the ground; the engine nose bullet composite was torn and the fan blade tips were bent aft. The reporter believes the nose bullet kevlar structure failed first and passed into the fan blades; but this is only a theory. Second hand information gathered later had technicians sent in to work the airplane. They boroscoped the engine; replaced the fan blades and nose bullet. The airplane was then maintenance ferried to a major maintenance facility where the engine was changed.callback conversation with reporter 700958 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the left engine gave out a loud 'bang' and the engine instruments indicated a compressor stall. The thrust level was retarded to idle power and engine did not stall. Any increase in thrust caused an immediate engine stall. Examination of the engine on the ground revealed nose bullet damaged and shredded with bent fan blade tips. Later report has the engine replaced.callback conversation with reporter 700959 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the loud 'bang' was associated with RPM surging and exhaust temperature gas increase. The thrust lever was retarded to idle and any attempt to increase thrust resulted engine stalling. The engine remained at idle thrust to the diversion station. The engine had visible nose cone and fan blade damage. The reporter believes the airplane was worked at the diversion station and was maintenance ferried out for an engine change.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 IN CLB AT FL200 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE L ENG COMPOSITE NOSE BULLET (SPINNER) WITH A RESULTANT RPM SURGE AND EGT RISE.

Narrative: PASSING FL 185 AND APPROX 325 KTS; WE SELECTED MAX CONTINUOUS THRUST AND BEGAN TO BLEED AIRSPD TOWARD 300 KTS TO MAKE A CLB RESTRICTION OF INTXN AT FL270. PASSING THROUGH FL200; WE HEARD A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY RPM SURGE AND EGT RISE AND CONTINUED BANGING. AFTER VERIFYING TROUBLE WITH THE L ENG WE EXECUTED THE ENG LIMIT/SURGE/STALL QRC. WITH THROTTLE AT IDLE; COMPRESSOR STALLS CEASED. PER THE CHKLIST; REAPPLICATION OF POWER WITH BLEED AIR SWITCH OFF RESUMED COMPRESSOR STALLS. THROTTLE WAS RETARDED TO IDLE AND REMAINED THERE FOR THE DURATION OF FLT. WE SELECTED ZZZZ AS THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT AND COORDINATED WITH ATC TO RETURN THERE WITH FUEL DUMPING ALONG THE WAY. TOTAL FUEL DUMPED WAS APPROX 44000 LBS OVER 20 MINUTES OF TIME. WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND MAINT OF OUR SITUATION AND INTENTIONS. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC; BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON THE SITUATION; AND ISSUED A 'CABIN ADVISORY.' DURING FUEL DUMPING WE PREPARED TO ACCOMPLISH A SINGLE ENG APCH AND LNDG. THROUGHOUT THIS EVENT WE CONTINUED TO BRIEF THE PAX ABOUT OUR SITUATION AND OUR INTENTIONS INCLUDING THE FUEL DUMPING PROC AND WHAT THEY MIGHT NOTICE. OUR DUMPING VECTOR WAS EFFECTIVELY AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO RWY 26R. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE DUMPING WE COMPLETED ALL APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. ATC PROVIDED VECTORS TO A 12 MILE FINAL TO RWY 26R. WE PERFORMED AN UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENG APCH AND LNDG ROLLING OUT APPROX 9000 FT DOWN THE RWY BEFORE EXITING. LNDG WT WAS 340000 LBS WITH FLAPS REF SPD OF 159 KTS; A TARGET SPD OF 164 KTS; AUTOBRAKES LEVEL 2 SELECTED. BRAKE TEMPS EXITING THE RWY RANGED FROM 1 TO 3. WE DECIDED TO TAXI TO THE RAMP. ENTERING THE RAMP THE BRAKE TEMP LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND TEMPS HAD RISEN TO 5' AND 6'S. WE STOPPED THE ACFT ON THE RAMP; HELP POSITION WITH THE NOSEWHEEL CHOCKED; ADVISED 'APRON;' AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. DURING COORDINATION WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH; THE RELIEF PLT WAS UNABLE TO UTILIZE SATCOM DUE THE FUNCTION BEING UNAVAILABLE ON HIS COM PANEL. ALL COMMUNICATION WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH OCCURRED THROUGH ACARS WHICH WAS TIME CONSUMING AND INCONVENIENT. COM BETWEEN COCKPIT AND CABIN WAS OUTSTANDING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EVENT AND THE FAVORABLE REACTION OF THE PAX WAS IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE CABIN CREW.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE 'BANG' WAS LOUDER THAN THE CLASSIC ENG STALL AND NOTED IMMEDIATE N1 AND N2 RPM SURGE AND EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE RISE. ANY INCREASE IN THRUST GREATER THAN IDLE POWER CAUSED ENG STALLING. THE THRUST LEVER REMAINED AT IDLE. AFTER DECLARING AN EMER THE FUEL WAS DUMPED AND ATC GAVE THEM A VECTOR STRAIGHT IN TO THE RWY. ON THE GND; THE ENG NOSE BULLET COMPOSITE WAS TORN AND THE FAN BLADE TIPS WERE BENT AFT. THE RPTR BELIEVES THE NOSE BULLET KEVLAR STRUCTURE FAILED FIRST AND PASSED INTO THE FAN BLADES; BUT THIS IS ONLY A THEORY. SECOND HAND INFO GATHERED LATER HAD TECHNICIANS SENT IN TO WORK THE AIRPLANE. THEY BOROSCOPED THE ENG; REPLACED THE FAN BLADES AND NOSE BULLET. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN MAINT FERRIED TO A MAJOR MAINT FACILITY WHERE THE ENG WAS CHANGED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR 700958 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE L ENG GAVE OUT A LOUD 'BANG' AND THE ENG INSTRUMENTS INDICATED A COMPRESSOR STALL. THE THRUST LEVEL WAS RETARDED TO IDLE POWER AND ENG DID NOT STALL. ANY INCREASE IN THRUST CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE ENG STALL. EXAMINATION OF THE ENG ON THE GND REVEALED NOSE BULLET DAMAGED AND SHREDDED WITH BENT FAN BLADE TIPS. LATER RPT HAS THE ENG REPLACED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR 700959 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LOUD 'BANG' WAS ASSOCIATED WITH RPM SURGING AND EXHAUST TEMP GAS INCREASE. THE THRUST LEVER WAS RETARDED TO IDLE AND ANY ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THRUST RESULTED ENG STALLING. THE ENG REMAINED AT IDLE THRUST TO THE DIVERSION STATION. THE ENG HAD VISIBLE NOSE CONE AND FAN BLADE DAMAGE. THE RPTR BELIEVES THE AIRPLANE WAS WORKED AT THE DIVERSION STATION AND WAS MAINT FERRIED OUT FOR AN ENG CHANGE.

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.