Narrative:

On takeoff as gear was retracting into up-locks a very loud 'bang' was heard; a slight shudder; no torque roll; no detectable yaw by PNF. Initially suspected gear problem. Then first officer declared an 'engine failure' -- first officer was PF. I (captain) immediately assumed the role of PF and communication. Upon becoming the PF the first officer declared an emergency and a return to ZZZ. The failed engine was difficult to detect as the engine parameters on the #2 engine did not portray a classic 'simulator' engine failure/seizure. I slightly pulled each engine back to determine the operative engine as we climb VMC to 1600 ft right downwind for runway. I determined #2 engine was the failed engine due to no performance loss as it was pulled back. I cross-checked with the first officer that #2 was the failed engine; he affirmed this. (Due to spurious indications on #2 engine it could not be determined if it simply failed; stalled; or suffered a catastrophic event -- no secondaries were observed to indicate a fire; imbalance or acute/imminent problems. Note -- numerous birds around the airport had been reported and observed which was a concern for my one good engine and undetermined status of #2.) the after-takeoff checklist and the engine failure-qrc were run #2 engine. Automatic-throttles disconnected (autoplt never connected). During this time we were established downwind; tower asked for a climb to 2000 ft. I said we would stay at 1600 ft. Tower asked for fuel and sob. I deferred the request; as we would be on the ground shortly. I did ask the tower if they noticed we were trailing smoke. Negative tower said. I then concurred with tower that we declared an emergency and to please roll the fire trucks -- already done replied tower. First officer made quick PA for return to ZZZ. First officer ran approach and descent checklists. Abeam numbers for runway; flaps 15 and gear down were selected. On final: flaps 28 were selected; final speed set; landing checklist completed. At 500 ft I visually reviewed items on landing checklist and speedcard. Normal touchdown and landing. Reverse thrust lightly used. At 100 KTS #2 fuel lever was pulled to off. At taxi speed I had the first officer open the cockpit door and asked a flight attendant for smoke; etc; in cabin. She said negative. I then told a flight attendant to 'remain seated' -- she repeated to me; 'remain seated.' upon stop on taxiway; #2 e-handle was pulled but agent not discharged. #2 pack was shut off. Sob's and fuel given to tower. Fire department did a drive around inspection and nothing abnormal was noted per tower. We waited a few minutes. I checked the brake temperature. Asked the first officer if he was comfortable taxiing to the gate. Return to gate.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after the bang and determination that the engine failed; the first officer first had to put in very little rudder to counter the yaw. Looking at the engine instruments the crew had difficulty telling which engine failed because there was some EPR being produced; N1; and egt also appeared normal even with the engine throttle at idle. On the ground it was evident that the turbine failed because of the missing and damaged blades and the reverser bucket internal denting from engine components impacting it. A final determination would not be made about the exact failure cause until the engine had been borescoped. A small grass fire was started along the runway's edge where engine parts landed during takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 TURBINE FAILED AT TKOF AS THE LNDG GEAR WERE RETRACTED. THE ENG INDICATED SOME FUNCTIONING EVEN AT IDLE THRUST. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH A RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: ON TAKEOFF AS GEAR WAS RETRACTING INTO UP-LOCKS A VERY LOUD 'BANG' WAS HEARD; A SLIGHT SHUDDER; NO TORQUE ROLL; NO DETECTABLE YAW BY PNF. INITIALLY SUSPECTED GEAR PROBLEM. THEN FO DECLARED AN 'ENGINE FAILURE' -- FO WAS PF. I (CAPT) IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED THE ROLE OF PF AND COM. UPON BECOMING THE PF THE FO DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND A RETURN TO ZZZ. THE FAILED ENGINE WAS DIFFICULT TO DETECT AS THE ENGINE PARAMETERS ON THE #2 ENGINE DID NOT PORTRAY A CLASSIC 'SIMULATOR' ENGINE FAILURE/SEIZURE. I SLIGHTLY PULLED EACH ENGINE BACK TO DETERMINE THE OPERATIVE ENGINE AS WE CLIMB VMC TO 1600 FT RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RWY. I DETERMINED #2 ENGINE WAS THE FAILED ENGINE DUE TO NO PERFORMANCE LOSS AS IT WAS PULLED BACK. I CROSS-CHECKED WITH THE FO THAT #2 WAS THE FAILED ENGINE; HE AFFIRMED THIS. (DUE TO SPURIOUS INDICATIONS ON #2 ENGINE IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF IT SIMPLY FAILED; STALLED; OR SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC EVENT -- NO SECONDARIES WERE OBSERVED TO INDICATE A FIRE; IMBALANCE OR ACUTE/IMMINENT PROBLEMS. NOTE -- NUMEROUS BIRDS AROUND THE AIRPORT HAD BEEN REPORTED AND OBSERVED WHICH WAS A CONCERN FOR MY ONE GOOD ENGINE AND UNDETERMINED STATUS OF #2.) THE AFTER-TAKEOFF CHECKLIST AND THE ENGINE FAILURE-QRC WERE RUN #2 ENGINE. AUTO-THROTTLES DISCONNECTED (AUTOPLT NEVER CONNECTED). DURING THIS TIME WE WERE ESTABLISHED DOWNWIND; TOWER ASKED FOR A CLIMB TO 2000 FT. I SAID WE WOULD STAY AT 1600 FT. TOWER ASKED FOR FUEL AND SOB. I DEFERRED THE REQUEST; AS WE WOULD BE ON THE GROUND SHORTLY. I DID ASK THE TOWER IF THEY NOTICED WE WERE TRAILING SMOKE. NEGATIVE TOWER SAID. I THEN CONCURRED WITH TOWER THAT WE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND TO PLEASE ROLL THE FIRE TRUCKS -- ALREADY DONE REPLIED TOWER. FO MADE QUICK PA FOR RETURN TO ZZZ. FO RAN APPROACH AND DESCENT CHECKLISTS. ABEAM NUMBERS FOR RWY; FLAPS 15 AND GEAR DOWN WERE SELECTED. ON FINAL: FLAPS 28 WERE SELECTED; FINAL SPEED SET; LANDING CHECKLIST COMPLETED. AT 500 FT I VISUALLY REVIEWED ITEMS ON LANDING CHECKLIST AND SPEEDCARD. NORMAL TOUCHDOWN AND LANDING. REVERSE THRUST LIGHTLY USED. AT 100 KTS #2 FUEL LEVER WAS PULLED TO OFF. AT TAXI SPEED I HAD THE FO OPEN THE COCKPIT DOOR AND ASKED A FLT ATTENDANT FOR SMOKE; ETC; IN CABIN. SHE SAID NEGATIVE. I THEN TOLD A FLT ATTENDANT TO 'REMAIN SEATED' -- SHE REPEATED TO ME; 'REMAIN SEATED.' UPON STOP ON TAXIWAY; #2 E-HANDLE WAS PULLED BUT AGENT NOT DISCHARGED. #2 PACK WAS SHUT OFF. SOB'S AND FUEL GIVEN TO TOWER. FIRE DEPARTMENT DID A DRIVE AROUND INSPECTION AND NOTHING ABNORMAL WAS NOTED PER TOWER. WE WAITED A FEW MINUTES. I CHECKED THE BRAKE TEMPERATURE. ASKED THE FO IF HE WAS COMFORTABLE TAXIING TO THE GATE. RETURN TO GATE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT AFTER THE BANG AND DETERMINATION THAT THE ENG FAILED; THE FO FIRST HAD TO PUT IN VERY LITTLE RUDDER TO COUNTER THE YAW. LOOKING AT THE ENG INSTRUMENTS THE CREW HAD DIFFICULTY TELLING WHICH ENG FAILED BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME EPR BEING PRODUCED; N1; AND EGT ALSO APPEARED NORMAL EVEN WITH THE ENG THROTTLE AT IDLE. ON THE GND IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE TURBINE FAILED BECAUSE OF THE MISSING AND DAMAGED BLADES AND THE REVERSER BUCKET INTERNAL DENTING FROM ENG COMPONENTS IMPACTING IT. A FINAL DETERMINATION WOULD NOT BE MADE ABOUT THE EXACT FAILURE CAUSE UNTIL THE ENG HAD BEEN BORESCOPED. A SMALL GRASS FIRE WAS STARTED ALONG THE RWY'S EDGE WHERE ENG PARTS LANDED DURING TKOF.

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.