Narrative:

Aircraft established in cruise at FL380 when engine indications became very very abnormal immediately followed by slight bumping in engine. After immediate shut down of engine and appropriate checklist completed we asked center for a vector, descent and landing at nearest airport (acy). We did not elect to declare an emergency because of the halo of red tape surrounding the use of priority handling. The descent and landing was accomplished west/O exercising emergency authority. However, ATC advised us to squawk 7700, even though we did not declare an emergency. On final approach ATC asked us if we wanted to switch to the tower frequency, or just stay with approach. We said we could switch. However, at that time I commanded gear down and the flaps to land, which distracted my first officer. He never established contact with acy tower until the rollout. All in all, our handling by ZNY was excellent. Looking back on my thoughts, during descent and landing I feel that I had to try very hard to concentrate on flying the aircraft and orienting myself for landing at the unplanned destination while accomplishing the necessary actions for a relatively simply emergency. I feel that pictorial navigation equipment would be of great use during emergency actions because the pilot would not have to expend mental energy orienting himself when the time could better be spent managing resources.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF CORP JET EXPERIENCES ENGINE FAILURE AT FL280, AND MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT ACY.

Narrative: ACFT ESTABLISHED IN CRUISE AT FL380 WHEN ENG INDICATIONS BECAME VERY VERY ABNORMAL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY SLIGHT BUMPING IN ENG. AFTER IMMEDIATE SHUT DOWN OF ENG AND APPROPRIATE CHKLIST COMPLETED WE ASKED CENTER FOR A VECTOR, DSNT AND LNDG AT NEAREST ARPT (ACY). WE DID NOT ELECT TO DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE OF THE HALO OF RED TAPE SURROUNDING THE USE OF PRIORITY HANDLING. THE DSNT AND LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED W/O EXERCISING EMER AUTHORITY. HOWEVER, ATC ADVISED US TO SQUAWK 7700, EVEN THOUGH WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. ON FINAL APCH ATC ASKED US IF WE WANTED TO SWITCH TO THE TWR FREQ, OR JUST STAY WITH APCH. WE SAID WE COULD SWITCH. HOWEVER, AT THAT TIME I COMMANDED GEAR DOWN AND THE FLAPS TO LAND, WHICH DISTRACTED MY F/O. HE NEVER ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ACY TWR UNTIL THE ROLLOUT. ALL IN ALL, OUR HANDLING BY ZNY WAS EXCELLENT. LOOKING BACK ON MY THOUGHTS, DURING DSNT AND LNDG I FEEL THAT I HAD TO TRY VERY HARD TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE ACFT AND ORIENTING MYSELF FOR LNDG AT THE UNPLANNED DEST WHILE ACCOMPLISHING THE NECESSARY ACTIONS FOR A RELATIVELY SIMPLY EMER. I FEEL THAT PICTORIAL NAV EQUIP WOULD BE OF GREAT USE DURING EMER ACTIONS BECAUSE THE PLT WOULD NOT HAVE TO EXPEND MENTAL ENERGY ORIENTING HIMSELF WHEN THE TIME COULD BETTER BE SPENT MANAGING RESOURCES.

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.