An A320 flight crew reports both engines surging during climb and cruise at FL360. During descent af...

Attributes
ACN	758573
Time
Date	200710
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 36000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	758573
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : testing
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Climbing out; the first officer and I became aware that both engines were surging we leveled off at FL360 and both engines continued to surge between 1.27 EPR and 1.39 EPR. Talked with maintenance control and jointly decided to return back to ZZZ. As we made the turn back and started to descend out of FL360 the # 1 engine stalled and we leveled off. It did an automatic re-light and we declared an emergency and proceeded back to ZZZ expeditiously. The emergency equipment was standing by but we landed with no major problems; we had the flight attendant prepare the cabin for a precautionary landing. The maintenance techs could not duplicate the problem on the ground.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the surging commenced at about 16000 feet on the way up and stopped at about 8000 feet on the way down. Both engines surged about the same amount although number one seemed to be the main culprit and ultimately flamed out and relit. The bleed systems are isolated in flight and cannot interact. Bleed valves were changed on both engines.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLT CREW REPORTS BOTH ENGINES SURGING DURING CLIMB AND CRUISE AT FL360. DURING DESCENT AFTER DECISION TO DIVERT; ONE ENGINE STALLS AND AUTO RELIGHTS. EMERGENCY LANDING ENSUES.

Narrative: CLIMBING OUT; THE FO AND I BECAME AWARE THAT BOTH ENGINES WERE SURGING WE LEVELED OFF AT FL360 AND BOTH ENGINES CONTINUED TO SURGE BETWEEN 1.27 EPR AND 1.39 EPR. TALKED WITH MAINT CONTROL AND JOINTLY DECIDED TO RETURN BACK TO ZZZ. AS WE MADE THE TURN BACK AND STARTED TO DESCEND OUT OF FL360 THE # 1 ENGINE STALLED AND WE LEVELED OFF. IT DID AN AUTOMATIC RE-LIGHT AND WE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND PROCEEDED BACK TO ZZZ EXPEDITIOUSLY. THE EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT WAS STANDING BY BUT WE LANDED WITH NO MAJOR PROBLEMS; WE HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT PREPARE THE CABIN FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. THE MAINT TECHS COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM ON THE GROUND.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE SURGING COMMENCED AT ABOUT 16000 FEET ON THE WAY UP AND STOPPED AT ABOUT 8000 FEET ON THE WAY DOWN. BOTH ENGINES SURGED ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT ALTHOUGH NUMBER ONE SEEMED TO BE THE MAIN CULPRIT AND ULTIMATELY FLAMED OUT AND RELIT. THE BLEED SYSTEMS ARE ISOLATED IN FLIGHT AND CANNOT INTERACT. BLEED VALVES WERE CHANGED ON BOTH ENGINES.

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.

An A320 flight crew reports both engines surging during climb and cruise at FL360. During descent after decision to divert; one engine stalls and automatic relights. Emergency landing ensues.