Narrative:

Following first flight of day checks; departed. During takeoff; left itt was approximately 869 and right was approximately 910; with all other engine parameters normal. After turning off ctot-apr and turning on the right low pressure and high pressure bleeds; I reached to retard the pl's. Prior to pulling them back; the aircraft's left engine began making loud popping sounds. The PF leveled the wings and leveled off at approximately 1300 ft. The popping sounds ceased within 3 seconds and I began to scan the engine instruments. The left side tq; np; and propeller oil pressures were indicating near zero; and the cwp oil pressure light was illuminated. The ng was indicating in the green arc around 95. The left itt indicated 1010. Since the popping sounds had ceased and we had no idea what was causing the abnormally high itt; I elected to shut down the left engine and return to ZZZ since the right engine indications were normal. Tower advised runway was available; but we opted to go out for the ILS to give us time to accomplish the necessary checklists. After talking to flight attendant; she indicated passenger briefly saw flames; but we had no indication of fire. On landing rollout; we asked the fire department to scan the left engine and they found no indication of fire. Compressor stall suspected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES LEFT ENGINE COMPRESSOR STALL IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEPARTURE; ENGINE IS SECURED AND AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING FOLLOWED.

Narrative: FOLLOWING FIRST FLT OF DAY CHKS; DEPARTED. DURING TKOF; L ITT WAS APPROX 869 AND R WAS APPROX 910; WITH ALL OTHER ENG PARAMETERS NORMAL. AFTER TURNING OFF CTOT-APR AND TURNING ON THE R LOW PRESSURE AND HIGH PRESSURE BLEEDS; I REACHED TO RETARD THE PL'S. PRIOR TO PULLING THEM BACK; THE ACFT'S L ENG BEGAN MAKING LOUD POPPING SOUNDS. THE PF LEVELED THE WINGS AND LEVELED OFF AT APPROX 1300 FT. THE POPPING SOUNDS CEASED WITHIN 3 SECONDS AND I BEGAN TO SCAN THE ENG INSTS. THE L SIDE TQ; NP; AND PROP OIL PRESSURES WERE INDICATING NEAR ZERO; AND THE CWP OIL PRESSURE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE NG WAS INDICATING IN THE GREEN ARC AROUND 95. THE L ITT INDICATED 1010. SINCE THE POPPING SOUNDS HAD CEASED AND WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS CAUSING THE ABNORMALLY HIGH ITT; I ELECTED TO SHUT DOWN THE L ENG AND RETURN TO ZZZ SINCE THE R ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. TWR ADVISED RWY WAS AVAILABLE; BUT WE OPTED TO GO OUT FOR THE ILS TO GIVE US TIME TO ACCOMPLISH THE NECESSARY CHKLISTS. AFTER TALKING TO FLT ATTENDANT; SHE INDICATED PAX BRIEFLY SAW FLAMES; BUT WE HAD NO INDICATION OF FIRE. ON LNDG ROLLOUT; WE ASKED THE FIRE DEPT TO SCAN THE L ENG AND THEY FOUND NO INDICATION OF FIRE. COMPRESSOR STALL SUSPECTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.