Date: 201401
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZZZ.TRACON, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: Rain
Light: Night
Aircraft: Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb
ATC / advisory: TRACON ZZZ
Aircraft component: Turbine Engine
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Other / Unknown
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Declared Emergency
Contributing factors: Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: Departed with wings and cowls anti-ice on. APU operating. ATIS weather 1 SM -RA BR OVC 002 08/08. Called for flaps up After Takeoff Checklist. TAT in climb +14 and speed above 230 asked First Officer to turn off wing anti-ice; left cowls on. Broke out of overcast approximately 8;500 MSL. Turned off cowl anti-ice. Encountered no icing during climbout. Passing through 10;000 MSL; felt jolt I can best describe as the feeling of encountering wake turbulence. Simultaneously we smelled a burning smell I can best describe as the smell when engine oil leaks into a pack. This was also smelled in the cabin. At the same time the ITT on the left engine was well into the red range and N2 gauge had a VIB caution icon. Felt slight vibration in airframe but nothing excessive or loud like compressor stall. I reduced power on the left engine to bring ITT back in the green range. Burning smell went away. N2 VIB icon remained till shutdown. N1 vibrations stayed 1.3 to 1.6 as I recall. Asked ATC for level off at 12;000 MSL and said we would be returning with an engine shut down. Declared an emergency. After brief consultation with First Officer; we elected; due to burning smell and high ITT at time of event and remaining VIB icon; to run Engine Damage Checklist. Notified Dispatch thru ACARS. Notified Flight Attendant and passengers. ATC gave us vectors while we ran all the QRH checklists and normal checklists; including ensuring new landing weight was within normal limits. Landed without incident and taxied to gate. Provided requested info to CFR crew. Called Dispatcher and crew sked. Texted Chief Pilot. Filed report before leaving airport. Probably the main thing I saw was the number of people vying for your attention is much greater than when you're working through the scenario in the SIM. As soon as the event happened the Flight Attendant called about the burning smell as well she should have. ATC wanted to know fuel and souls on board. Souls on board I had to look for. Dispatch sent message before I could send them one asking what was going on. First Officer needed responses to checklist items requiring confirmation. So the task was responding to who needed one then and who could wait. I think slowing the airplane down sooner would have cut down on the vectoring required to keep us close to the airport while running the checklists. I was disappointed in my responses to the First Officer's confirmation requests. I had to think of the proper terminology. I'm going to start reviewing the procedures more frequently in between training events. Otherwise I think CRM and working together to get everything done went well.




Synopsis: CRJ-200 Captain reports a thump passing through 10;000 FT on departure; followed by high ITT; N2 vibration and a burning oil smell. The crew elects to shut the engine down and return to the departure airport.