SF340 FLT ATTENDANT REPORTS ON EMERGENCY RETURN TO FIELD AFTER ENGINE MALFUNCTION CAUSES PILOTS TO DIVERT.

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FOLLOWING FLT DEP AND INITIAL ASCENT. I AWAITED THE 10000 FT CHIME TO MAKE MY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND TO PASS OUT CUSTOMS DOCUMENTS. NOTING WE HAD BEEN AT LEVEL FLT FOR SOME TIME AND BEING MINDFUL THAT THE FLT TIME WAS JUST 37 MINS; I MADE THE APPROPRIATE BEVERAGE SVC ANNOUNCEMENT; AND GOT UP FROM MY JUMPSEAT TO PASS THE FORMS OUT. WHILE ON THE LAST ROW OF PAX; THE FLT DECK CHIMED ME OVER THE INTERPHONE. I CHKED ON MY LAST PAX THEN HEADED BACK TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT TO ANSWER THE INTERPHONE (WHICH CHIMED TWICE MORE AS I MADE MY WAY FORWARD). AFTER ANSWERING; IDENTING MYSELF; THE PIC INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WAS EXPERIENCING AN EMER SITUATION; ONE OF THE ENGS WAS HAVING PROBS WITH THE DEICING SYS; WAS 'SPARKING;' AND FLAMES WERE VISIBLE COMING OUT OF IT; AND THE ACFT WOULD BE RETURNING TO ZZZ. PIC SPECIFIED THE LEVEL EMER (I DID NOT HAVE TO ASK); THAT WE WOULD BE RETURNING WITHIN 15-20 MINS; A NORMAL LNDG WAS ANTICIPATED; EMS VEHICLES WOULD BE MEETING THE FLT; NO EVAC WAS ANTICIPATED; WE WOULD BE TAXIING INTO THE GATE POSSIBLY WITH EMS VEHICLES FOLLOWING THE ACFT; AND ANTICIPATED DEPLANING VIA THE JETBRIDGE; PIC ADVISED THAT I SHOULD MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX; MAKE APPROPRIATE PREPARATIONS; THAT HE WOULD BE CONTACTING; COMMUNICATING WITH ME VIA THE INTERPHONE; ANTICIPATED NO SPECIAL SIGNALS; AND ASKED IF I HAD ANY QUESTIONS. I REPLIED 'NO' TO HIS FINAL QUESTION AND; AFTER PIC TERMINATED THE CALL; RETRIEVED MY MANUAL FROM THE SECOND EMER EQUIP OVERHEAD BIN ON ACFT R; FLIPPED TO THE RED TABBED 'EMERS' SECTION. I REVIEWED THE FLT ATTENDANT RESPONSIBILITIES (NOTING -- CONFIRMING THAT THE 2 QUESTIONS I WAS REQUIRED TO ASK HAD ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED BY THE PIC); GOING TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE READ IN THE CASE OF THIS LEVEL EMERS AND READ THE ANNOUNCEMENT. I THEN PROCEEDED TO GIVE INDIVIDUAL BRIEFING TO MY PAX EVERY 2-3 ROWS TO INDIVIDUALLY INFORM AND REASSURE THEM. ALL PAX APPEARED CALM AND ONLY 1 PAX (XX) MENTIONED THAT HE COULD SMELL SOMETHING; NO ONE CLAIMED TO HAVE SEEN ANY SPARKS OR FLAMES FROM EITHER ENG. MY GALLEY WAS READY (AS IT HAD ALREADY BEEN SECURED PRIOR TO OUR DEP); I WAS CONFIDENT IN THE PAX ASSIGNED SEATS IN THE EXIT ROWS AND DID NOT HAVE TO MOVE ANYONE (OTHER THAN A MOTHER WHO WISHED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AISLE TO SIT NEXT TO HER DAUGHTER); AND MADE MY NORMAL PRE-ARR -- ARR ANNOUNCEMENTS. THE ACFT LANDED NORMALLY AS PIC INDICATED WITHOUT INCIDENT I COULD DETECT AND EMS VEHICLES WERE EASILY VISIBLE AROUND THE ACFT ON THE GND. PIC MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT INDICATING THAT HE HAD BEEN INFORMED BY EMS PERSONNEL THAT THE ENG WAS NOT ON FIRE AND THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO THE TERMINAL FOR A NORMAL DEPLANING VIA A JETBRIDGE WITH EMS VEHICLES FOLLOWING THE ACFT AS A FURTHER PRECAUTION. UPON ARRIVING AT THE GATE AND RECEIVING A KNOCK ON THE BOARDING DOOR AND BEING SIGNALED BY PIC; A FIREFIGHTER ENTERED THE ACFT AND ADDRESS THE FLT DECK CREW (PRESUMABLY GIVING THEM THE 'ALL-CLR'). AFTER HIS DEP; I ASKED THE FO (WHO HAD WALKED OFF THE ACFT WITH A FLASHLIGHT IN HAND SHORTLY AFTER THE FIREFIGHTER) TO CONFIRM WITH THE GATE AGENT THAT IT WAS OK TO DEPLANE THE PAX. THE GATE AGENT HAD STARTED WALKING UP THE JETBRIDGE WITH THE FIREFIGHTER. THE FO COMPLIED AND (SHORTLY THEREAFTER) GAVE ME THE THUMBS-UP. I ACCOMPLISHED THE DEPLANING AND DID MY FINAL CABIN CHK AFTER THE LAST PAX HAD LEFT THE ACFT. I CAME FORWARD AND WAS DEBRIEFED BY THE PIC; WHO INDICATED THAT THE PROB WAS WITH THE L ENG (#1) AND ASKED IF ANY PAX NOTICED ANYTHING. I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE XX PAX AND SAID NO OTHERS RPTED ANYTHING AND EVERYONE SEEMED CALM.