Narrative:

While at the controls of an air carrier flight from mia to minneapolis/st paul at FL240, .80 mach in cruise flight about 80-90 NM northwest of cross city, fl VOR on J91, I heard a loud bang. The aircraft pitched down slightly and yawed right slightly. I immediately regained control of the aircraft and climbed back to FL350. About 300-400' of altitude was lost. Essential power was lost momentarily and restored by the F/east. The autoplt also disengaged and I reengaged after the aircraft was flying at FL350. The F/east and I ascertained that the #3 engine had lost all thrust. The captain, who had been in the forward laboratory, quickly returned to the flight deck and was briefed on the emergency situation by me and the F/east. The captain designated me to work with the F/east on the emergency checklist. The red bordered checklist and expanded checklist were completed in accordance with company procedures. An emergency was declared with ATC (ZJX). After checklist completion the captain gave me the controls while he discussed the situation with the dispatcher. A decision was made to divert to tpa. Emergency equipment was requested to be standing by. Fuel dumping was also requested and granted. The F/east began dumping to a landing weight of 150000 pounds about 90 NM north of tpa at FL240. About 7500 pounds of fuel was dumped. Upon initial contact with tpa tower, I verified that the emergency equipment was standing by. An uneventful approach and landing ensued. We requested that the emergency equipment follow us to the gate. Once at the gate, ground control released the emergency equipment although 2 trucks remained. The aircraft was parked in accordance with company procedures and passenger deplaned normally. Human factors were not a consideration in this occurrence. Currently under investigation by the NTSB mia office. Supplemental information from acn 132964: #3 engine separated from the aircraft at a cruise altitude of FL350. The assumed cause of engine separation is an ice block of forward lav fluid striking the engine. The cause of fluid leakage was a faulty and misaligned servicing value at the forward lav service panel. Supplemental information from acn 132763: no passenger or crew were injured. Ground inspection revealed that there was no blue fluid in the forward lav and blue streaks were on the side of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT #3 ENGINE SEPARATES FROM ACFT WHILE CRUISING AT FL350.

Narrative: WHILE AT THE CONTROLS OF AN ACR FLT FROM MIA TO MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL AT FL240, .80 MACH IN CRUISE FLT ABOUT 80-90 NM NW OF CROSS CITY, FL VOR ON J91, I HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE ACFT PITCHED DOWN SLIGHTLY AND YAWED RIGHT SLIGHTLY. I IMMEDIATELY REGAINED CONTROL OF THE ACFT AND CLBED BACK TO FL350. ABOUT 300-400' OF ALT WAS LOST. ESSENTIAL PWR WAS LOST MOMENTARILY AND RESTORED BY THE F/E. THE AUTOPLT ALSO DISENGAGED AND I REENGAGED AFTER THE ACFT WAS FLYING AT FL350. THE F/E AND I ASCERTAINED THAT THE #3 ENG HAD LOST ALL THRUST. THE CAPT, WHO HAD BEEN IN THE FORWARD LABORATORY, QUICKLY RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK AND WAS BRIEFED ON THE EMER SITUATION BY ME AND THE F/E. THE CAPT DESIGNATED ME TO WORK WITH THE F/E ON THE EMER CHKLIST. THE RED BORDERED CHKLIST AND EXPANDED CHKLIST WERE COMPLETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ATC (ZJX). AFTER CHKLIST COMPLETION THE CAPT GAVE ME THE CONTROLS WHILE HE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH THE DISPATCHER. A DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO TPA. EMER EQUIP WAS REQUESTED TO BE STANDING BY. FUEL DUMPING WAS ALSO REQUESTED AND GRANTED. THE F/E BEGAN DUMPING TO A LNDG WT OF 150000 LBS ABOUT 90 NM N OF TPA AT FL240. ABOUT 7500 LBS OF FUEL WAS DUMPED. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH TPA TWR, I VERIFIED THAT THE EMER EQUIP WAS STANDING BY. AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG ENSUED. WE REQUESTED THAT THE EMER EQUIP FOLLOW US TO THE GATE. ONCE AT THE GATE, GND CTL RELEASED THE EMER EQUIP ALTHOUGH 2 TRUCKS REMAINED. THE ACFT WAS PARKED IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS AND PAX DEPLANED NORMALLY. HUMAN FACTORS WERE NOT A CONSIDERATION IN THIS OCCURRENCE. CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE NTSB MIA OFFICE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 132964: #3 ENG SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT AT A CRUISE ALT OF FL350. THE ASSUMED CAUSE OF ENG SEPARATION IS AN ICE BLOCK OF FORWARD LAV FLUID STRIKING THE ENG. THE CAUSE OF FLUID LEAKAGE WAS A FAULTY AND MISALIGNED SVCING VALUE AT THE FORWARD LAV SVC PANEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 132763: NO PAX OR CREW WERE INJURED. GND INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO BLUE FLUID IN THE FORWARD LAV AND BLUE STREAKS WERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.