Unable to maintain altitude account compressor stall during test flight and afterburner activated.

Attributes
ACN	89882
Time
Date	198806
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ssc
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 40000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Fighter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	89882
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Was doing a functional check flight of an fgt. This check flight was to determine rigging of a newly-installed engine. At initiation of afterburner, engine compressor stalled badly, and lost power to approximately idle. Unable to maintain my altitude block (390 to 410). Talked to center as I cleared the compressor stall and determined if there was engine damage. After a short delay (communication problem with jax center), I advised them unable to maintain altitude. They clrd me to FL280, heading back toward shaw AFB. Controller asked for expeditious descent and turn due to possible conflict with traffic. Engine recovered in normal power settings (idle to military thrust). Emergency not declared, engine problem was limited to the afterburner. Core engine ok.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT ACCOUNT COMPRESSOR STALL DURING TEST FLT AND AFTERBURNER ACTIVATED.

Narrative: WAS DOING A FUNCTIONAL CHECK FLT OF AN FGT. THIS CHECK FLT WAS TO DETERMINE RIGGING OF A NEWLY-INSTALLED ENGINE. AT INITIATION OF AFTERBURNER, ENGINE COMPRESSOR STALLED BADLY, AND LOST POWER TO APPROX IDLE. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN MY ALT BLOCK (390 TO 410). TALKED TO CENTER AS I CLRED THE COMPRESSOR STALL AND DETERMINED IF THERE WAS ENGINE DAMAGE. AFTER A SHORT DELAY (COMMUNICATION PROBLEM WITH JAX CENTER), I ADVISED THEM UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT. THEY CLRD ME TO FL280, HDG BACK TOWARD SHAW AFB. CTLR ASKED FOR EXPEDITIOUS DSCNT AND TURN DUE TO POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH TFC. ENGINE RECOVERED IN NORMAL POWER SETTINGS (IDLE TO MIL THRUST). EMER NOT DECLARED, ENGINE PROBLEM WAS LIMITED TO THE AFTERBURNER. CORE ENGINE OK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.