A B767-300 IN CLB AT FL200 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE L ENG COMPOSITE NOSE BULLET (SPINNER) WITH A RESULTANT RPM SURGE AND EGT RISE.

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PASSING FL 185 AND APPROX 325 KTS; WE SELECTED MAX CONTINUOUS THRUST AND BEGAN TO BLEED AIRSPD TOWARD 300 KTS TO MAKE A CLB RESTRICTION OF INTXN AT FL270. PASSING THROUGH FL200; WE HEARD A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY RPM SURGE AND EGT RISE AND CONTINUED BANGING. AFTER VERIFYING TROUBLE WITH THE L ENG WE EXECUTED THE ENG LIMIT/SURGE/STALL QRC. WITH THROTTLE AT IDLE; COMPRESSOR STALLS CEASED. PER THE CHKLIST; REAPPLICATION OF POWER WITH BLEED AIR SWITCH OFF RESUMED COMPRESSOR STALLS. THROTTLE WAS RETARDED TO IDLE AND REMAINED THERE FOR THE DURATION OF FLT. WE SELECTED ZZZZ AS THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT AND COORDINATED WITH ATC TO RETURN THERE WITH FUEL DUMPING ALONG THE WAY. TOTAL FUEL DUMPED WAS APPROX 44000 LBS OVER 20 MINUTES OF TIME. WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND MAINT OF OUR SITUATION AND INTENTIONS. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC; BRIEFED THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON THE SITUATION; AND ISSUED A 'CABIN ADVISORY.' DURING FUEL DUMPING WE PREPARED TO ACCOMPLISH A SINGLE ENG APCH AND LNDG. THROUGHOUT THIS EVENT WE CONTINUED TO BRIEF THE PAX ABOUT OUR SITUATION AND OUR INTENTIONS INCLUDING THE FUEL DUMPING PROC AND WHAT THEY MIGHT NOTICE. OUR DUMPING VECTOR WAS EFFECTIVELY AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO RWY 26R. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE DUMPING WE COMPLETED ALL APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. ATC PROVIDED VECTORS TO A 12 MILE FINAL TO RWY 26R. WE PERFORMED AN UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENG APCH AND LNDG ROLLING OUT APPROX 9000 FT DOWN THE RWY BEFORE EXITING. LNDG WT WAS 340000 LBS WITH FLAPS REF SPD OF 159 KTS; A TARGET SPD OF 164 KTS; AUTOBRAKES LEVEL 2 SELECTED. BRAKE TEMPS EXITING THE RWY RANGED FROM 1 TO 3. WE DECIDED TO TAXI TO THE RAMP. ENTERING THE RAMP THE BRAKE TEMP LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND TEMPS HAD RISEN TO 5' AND 6'S. WE STOPPED THE ACFT ON THE RAMP; HELP POSITION WITH THE NOSEWHEEL CHOCKED; ADVISED 'APRON;' AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGS. DURING COORDINATION WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH; THE RELIEF PLT WAS UNABLE TO UTILIZE SATCOM DUE THE FUNCTION BEING UNAVAILABLE ON HIS COM PANEL. ALL COMMUNICATION WITH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH OCCURRED THROUGH ACARS WHICH WAS TIME CONSUMING AND INCONVENIENT. COM BETWEEN COCKPIT AND CABIN WAS OUTSTANDING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EVENT AND THE FAVORABLE REACTION OF THE PAX WAS IN LARGE PART DUE TO THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE CABIN CREW.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE 'BANG' WAS LOUDER THAN THE CLASSIC ENG STALL AND NOTED IMMEDIATE N1 AND N2 RPM SURGE AND EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE RISE. ANY INCREASE IN THRUST GREATER THAN IDLE POWER CAUSED ENG STALLING. THE THRUST LEVER REMAINED AT IDLE. AFTER DECLARING AN EMER THE FUEL WAS DUMPED AND ATC GAVE THEM A VECTOR STRAIGHT IN TO THE RWY. ON THE GND; THE ENG NOSE BULLET COMPOSITE WAS TORN AND THE FAN BLADE TIPS WERE BENT AFT. THE RPTR BELIEVES THE NOSE BULLET KEVLAR STRUCTURE FAILED FIRST AND PASSED INTO THE FAN BLADES; BUT THIS IS ONLY A THEORY. SECOND HAND INFO GATHERED LATER HAD TECHNICIANS SENT IN TO WORK THE AIRPLANE. THEY BOROSCOPED THE ENG; REPLACED THE FAN BLADES AND NOSE BULLET. THE AIRPLANE WAS THEN MAINT FERRIED TO A MAJOR MAINT FACILITY WHERE THE ENG WAS CHANGED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR 700958 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE L ENG GAVE OUT A LOUD 'BANG' AND THE ENG INSTRUMENTS INDICATED A COMPRESSOR STALL. THE THRUST LEVEL WAS RETARDED TO IDLE POWER AND ENG DID NOT STALL. ANY INCREASE IN THRUST CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE ENG STALL. EXAMINATION OF THE ENG ON THE GND REVEALED NOSE BULLET DAMAGED AND SHREDDED WITH BENT FAN BLADE TIPS. LATER RPT HAS THE ENG REPLACED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR 700959 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LOUD 'BANG' WAS ASSOCIATED WITH RPM SURGING AND EXHAUST TEMP GAS INCREASE. THE THRUST LEVER WAS RETARDED TO IDLE AND ANY ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THRUST RESULTED ENG STALLING. THE ENG REMAINED AT IDLE THRUST TO THE DIVERSION STATION. THE ENG HAD VISIBLE NOSE CONE AND FAN BLADE DAMAGE. THE RPTR BELIEVES THE AIRPLANE WAS WORKED AT THE DIVERSION STATION AND WAS MAINT FERRIED OUT FOR AN ENG CHANGE.