B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
The Number 1 Engine failed at approximately FL230. Declared an emergency with ATC and returned to departure airport for landing (single engine and overweight). Normal landing and taxi to get gate after ARFF personnel checked for fire.
Normal pre-flight; taxi and takeoff. Passing about FL220; left engine failed. Engine Fail Light illuminated; yaw and engine 'winding down' noise. First Officer was pilot flying. Autopilot B Engaged. Captain applied initial rudder and then re-assigned me to keep flying while he declared an emergency and started the APU. I leveled; turned towards the nearest field and then started a descent to 15;000. Captain queried ATC as to available runway and length. 6;000 FT was the answer and that seemed unnecessary given our altitude and proximity to the departure airport as we were 145K for landing. Engine Failure Checklist; QRH expanded Engine Failure Checklist; Emergency Landing; and Single Engine Landing Checklist all accomplished as well as diversion report and code 7700 via ACARS. Flight attendants received their TEST brief. We routed direct in a steady and constant descent to setup for a left base for the longest runway. We had to route just west of direct due to thunderstorms. Descent and Landing checklists completed and landed flaps 15 and about 145 KTS. [We] rolled out to the end with minimal braking. The Fire Chief scanned left engine and brakes. No heat returns for either. We taxied to the gate and consulted Brake Cooling Chart during taxi in simply for situational awareness as we had confirmation of no overheat from ARFF. Equipment (pallet loader/dolly) over red line. Equipment moved and we taxied in to gate. Maintenance met us and said that the hot section appeared to have come apart. First Officer went to look for a stroller for a passenger and observed metal fragments under tail pipe. Appeared to be contained minus what exited out of the aft turbine section and tail pipe. Oil remained fully serviced throughout. Captain made log entries for Engine Failure and Overweight Landing.
B737-800 flight crew experiences an engine failure passing FL220 during climb. The engine is secured and the flight returns to the departure airport for an overweight landing.