Narrative:

On climb out at about 900 ft AGL the gear was retracted; LNAV and flaps up and VNAV selected; the left engine stalled and surged. The stall created loud banging; airframe vibration; reports of flame from the aft of the left engine and N1 fluctuation. The copilot (PF) retarded the left throttle to idle and the engine recovered; the banging and engine vibration stopped. The engine stall surge qrc was run with the associated items for the engine recovered at idle; the autothrottle was turned off and the engine was already at idle. Approach was advised of the left engine problem an emergency was declared and fuel and sob was passed. Equipment was requested standing by. The flight attendants were contacted and were told we were returning to ZZZ. There was no cabin advisory requested since the flames had ceased. No PA announcement was made due to workload. The route had set us up on a downwind and with the field in sight we were switched to tower. We configured flaps 15 degrees speed 140 KTS and autobrakes 3. The landing was uneventful; but the emergency crews reported flames from the right engine at touchdown but they had ceased. That was due to the left reverser was inadvertently opened momentarily on touchdown due to habit pattern. When clear of the runway the engine was shut down and we returned to the gate and shut down normally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737'S L ENG STALLED AND SURGED AFTER TKOF. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. THE CREW RETURNED TO LNDG WITH THE ENG AT IDLE.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT AT ABOUT 900 FT AGL THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED; LNAV AND FLAPS UP AND VNAV SELECTED; THE L ENG STALLED AND SURGED. THE STALL CREATED LOUD BANGING; AIRFRAME VIBRATION; RPTS OF FLAME FROM THE AFT OF THE L ENG AND N1 FLUCTUATION. THE COPLT (PF) RETARDED THE L THROTTLE TO IDLE AND THE ENG RECOVERED; THE BANGING AND ENG VIBRATION STOPPED. THE ENG STALL SURGE QRC WAS RUN WITH THE ASSOCIATED ITEMS FOR THE ENG RECOVERED AT IDLE; THE AUTOTHROTTLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE ENG WAS ALREADY AT IDLE. APCH WAS ADVISED OF THE L ENG PROB AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND FUEL AND SOB WAS PASSED. EQUIP WAS REQUESTED STANDING BY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CONTACTED AND WERE TOLD WE WERE RETURNING TO ZZZ. THERE WAS NO CABIN ADVISORY REQUESTED SINCE THE FLAMES HAD CEASED. NO PA ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE DUE TO WORKLOAD. THE RTE HAD SET US UP ON A DOWNWIND AND WITH THE FIELD IN SIGHT WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR. WE CONFIGURED FLAPS 15 DEGS SPD 140 KTS AND AUTOBRAKES 3. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL; BUT THE EMER CREWS RPTED FLAMES FROM THE R ENG AT TOUCHDOWN BUT THEY HAD CEASED. THAT WAS DUE TO THE L REVERSER WAS INADVERTENTLY OPENED MOMENTARILY ON TOUCHDOWN DUE TO HABIT PATTERN. WHEN CLR OF THE RWY THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND SHUT DOWN NORMALLY.

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.