Narrative:

Just after gear retraction; encountered overheat condition left engine. Retarded left throttle to bring left engine egt within acceptable operating range. Continued climb out of ZZZ1 terminal airspace away from traffic. Radioed dispatch of aircraft status. Dispatch facilitated a 3-WAY communication with maintenance. After a real time left engine status check; we were informed on a much larger scale the aircraft history covering the previous 90 days. Apparently; on all the past 3 or 4 maximum power takeoffs; the aircraft had experienced an overheat condition with the left engine. Additionally; at this time as we leveled off at cruise altitude; we noted a left engine fan vibration on lower EICAS panel of 2.1. 2.4 might have been the greatest value. However; we also noted a hull vibration through the cockpit floor associated with the vibration indications. Maintenance responded that our left engine never entered into an egt range of 924 degrees C for any length of time; up to 20 seconds was permissible. Maintenance felt we were airworthy; good to press on to ZZZ. I addressed my concern with the aircraft history; not being able to achieve maximum power for takeoff; which is a normal operation for departure out of ZZZZ; such as contingency for loss of right engine on departure ZZZZ; etc. After a brief discussion with someone else in the backgnd at dispatch; our dispatcher agreed our equipment was not suitable for operations into ZZZZ. Enlightened of the facts; we all agreed the aircraft needed to be returned to ZZZ. The left engine vibration seemed to be new information. In ZZZZ's airspace; we notified center of our status and intentions to return to ZZZ1. I exercised captain's authority/authorized; declared an emergency with ZZZ1 ATC. Along our return flight; we deviated west of course to remain well clear of WX; accomplished associated checklist regarding our overweight landing and normal operating procedures. ZZZ1 ATC and ZZZ1 crash fire rescue equipment were accommodating and provided excellent coverage of our operation at all levels. My concern is the lack of support regarding the safety of our flts directly from the air carrier equipment supervisor. There doesn't appear to be any aircraft research/history review or concern for aircraft about to be taken to high altitude places like ZZZZ1; ZZZZ2 or real IMC instrument operations into ZZZZ3. Every captain only has 1 hour to do this research. Pilots are only required to go back in the logbook a few days.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED HIGH EGT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF; FOLLOWED BY ENG VIB INDICATIONS. THEY COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT AND RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: JUST AFTER GEAR RETRACTION; ENCOUNTERED OVERHEAT CONDITION L ENG. RETARDED L THROTTLE TO BRING L ENG EGT WITHIN ACCEPTABLE OPERATING RANGE. CONTINUED CLB OUT OF ZZZ1 TERMINAL AIRSPACE AWAY FROM TFC. RADIOED DISPATCH OF ACFT STATUS. DISPATCH FACILITATED A 3-WAY COM WITH MAINT. AFTER A REAL TIME L ENG STATUS CHK; WE WERE INFORMED ON A MUCH LARGER SCALE THE ACFT HISTORY COVERING THE PREVIOUS 90 DAYS. APPARENTLY; ON ALL THE PAST 3 OR 4 MAX PWR TKOFS; THE ACFT HAD EXPERIENCED AN OVERHEAT CONDITION WITH THE L ENG. ADDITIONALLY; AT THIS TIME AS WE LEVELED OFF AT CRUISE ALT; WE NOTED A L ENG FAN VIBRATION ON LOWER EICAS PANEL OF 2.1. 2.4 MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE GREATEST VALUE. HOWEVER; WE ALSO NOTED A HULL VIBRATION THROUGH THE COCKPIT FLOOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE VIBRATION INDICATIONS. MAINT RESPONDED THAT OUR L ENG NEVER ENTERED INTO AN EGT RANGE OF 924 DEGS C FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME; UP TO 20 SECONDS WAS PERMISSIBLE. MAINT FELT WE WERE AIRWORTHY; GOOD TO PRESS ON TO ZZZ. I ADDRESSED MY CONCERN WITH THE ACFT HISTORY; NOT BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE MAX PWR FOR TKOF; WHICH IS A NORMAL OP FOR DEP OUT OF ZZZZ; SUCH AS CONTINGENCY FOR LOSS OF R ENG ON DEP ZZZZ; ETC. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH SOMEONE ELSE IN THE BACKGND AT DISPATCH; OUR DISPATCHER AGREED OUR EQUIP WAS NOT SUITABLE FOR OPS INTO ZZZZ. ENLIGHTENED OF THE FACTS; WE ALL AGREED THE ACFT NEEDED TO BE RETURNED TO ZZZ. THE L ENG VIBRATION SEEMED TO BE NEW INFO. IN ZZZZ'S AIRSPACE; WE NOTIFIED CTR OF OUR STATUS AND INTENTIONS TO RETURN TO ZZZ1. I EXERCISED CAPT'S AUTH; DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZZZ1 ATC. ALONG OUR RETURN FLT; WE DEVIATED W OF COURSE TO REMAIN WELL CLR OF WX; ACCOMPLISHED ASSOCIATED CHKLIST REGARDING OUR OVERWT LNDG AND NORMAL OPERATING PROCS. ZZZ1 ATC AND ZZZ1 CFR WERE ACCOMMODATING AND PROVIDED EXCELLENT COVERAGE OF OUR OP AT ALL LEVELS. MY CONCERN IS THE LACK OF SUPPORT REGARDING THE SAFETY OF OUR FLTS DIRECTLY FROM THE ACR EQUIP SUPVR. THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY ACFT RESEARCH/HISTORY REVIEW OR CONCERN FOR ACFT ABOUT TO BE TAKEN TO HIGH ALT PLACES LIKE ZZZZ1; ZZZZ2 OR REAL IMC INST OPS INTO ZZZZ3. EVERY CAPT ONLY HAS 1 HR TO DO THIS RESEARCH. PLTS ARE ONLY REQUIRED TO GO BACK IN THE LOGBOOK A FEW DAYS.

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.