A B737'S L ENG STALLED AND SURGED AFTER TKOF. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. THE CREW RETURNED TO LNDG WITH THE ENG AT IDLE.

Narrative

ON CLBOUT AT ABOUT 900 FT AGL THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED; LNAV AND FLAPS UP AND VNAV SELECTED; THE L ENG STALLED AND SURGED. THE STALL CREATED LOUD BANGING; AIRFRAME VIBRATION; RPTS OF FLAME FROM THE AFT OF THE L ENG AND N1 FLUCTUATION. THE COPLT (PF) RETARDED THE L THROTTLE TO IDLE AND THE ENG RECOVERED; THE BANGING AND ENG VIBRATION STOPPED. THE ENG STALL SURGE QRC WAS RUN WITH THE ASSOCIATED ITEMS FOR THE ENG RECOVERED AT IDLE; THE AUTOTHROTTLE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE ENG WAS ALREADY AT IDLE. APCH WAS ADVISED OF THE L ENG PROB AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND FUEL AND SOB WAS PASSED. EQUIP WAS REQUESTED STANDING BY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CONTACTED AND WERE TOLD WE WERE RETURNING TO ZZZ. THERE WAS NO CABIN ADVISORY REQUESTED SINCE THE FLAMES HAD CEASED. NO PA ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE DUE TO WORKLOAD. THE RTE HAD SET US UP ON A DOWNWIND AND WITH THE FIELD IN SIGHT WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR. WE CONFIGURED FLAPS 15 DEGS SPD 140 KTS AND AUTOBRAKES 3. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL; BUT THE EMER CREWS RPTED FLAMES FROM THE R ENG AT TOUCHDOWN BUT THEY HAD CEASED. THAT WAS DUE TO THE L REVERSER WAS INADVERTENTLY OPENED MOMENTARILY ON TOUCHDOWN DUE TO HABIT PATTERN. WHEN CLR OF THE RWY THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND SHUT DOWN NORMALLY.