Narrative:

Cruising at 9000', the left engine blew (heard a loud bang and aircraft yawed left). Captain looked at left engine which was on fire (observed fire and smoke out exhaust stacks). Reported to first officer who was flying, the engine had failed and was on fire. We then completed engine fire in-flight checklist and I informed hou center we had lost an engine and were going to land at act. Hou center handed us off to ftw center. We informed ftw center we had lost an engine and were going to land at act. Ftw told us to maintain 4000'. I again informed them we were going to land at act. As soon as possible. They then cleared us to 3000' and then cleared us for a visibility. We then informed the company of the situation, and briefed the passengers. We entered a left downwind at act and landed on runway 1. When the failure occurred we had been on duty for approximately 6 hours and had flown 3 hours. (Dfw-abi-dfw). Due to workload at the time of engine failure I did not think about declaring an emergency with ATC. This probably would have eliminated the need to contact ftw center and the ensuing confusion. Supplemental information from acn 146217. Just prior to engine failure I had discussed with the captain the high turning speed the left engine was turning (98 percent) and that during previous takeoffs to get minimum power it was close to maximum limit. Visly inspecting the airplane it was our speculation that a turbine had come apart because of the pieces of metal laying in the exhaust and the dents and scratches inside the exhaust caused by exiting metal pieces. There was also oil inside the exhaust.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ENGINE FAILURE AND DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT. SOME CONFUSION REGARDING EXPEDITED HANDLING REQUEST.

Narrative: CRUISING AT 9000', THE L ENG BLEW (HEARD A LOUD BANG AND ACFT YAWED L). CAPT LOOKED AT L ENG WHICH WAS ON FIRE (OBSERVED FIRE AND SMOKE OUT EXHAUST STACKS). RPTED TO F/O WHO WAS FLYING, THE ENG HAD FAILED AND WAS ON FIRE. WE THEN COMPLETED ENG FIRE INFLT CHKLIST AND I INFORMED HOU CTR WE HAD LOST AN ENG AND WERE GOING TO LAND AT ACT. HOU CTR HANDED US OFF TO FTW CTR. WE INFORMED FTW CTR WE HAD LOST AN ENG AND WERE GOING TO LAND AT ACT. FTW TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 4000'. I AGAIN INFORMED THEM WE WERE GOING TO LAND AT ACT. ASAP. THEY THEN CLRED US TO 3000' AND THEN CLRED US FOR A VIS. WE THEN INFORMED THE COMPANY OF THE SITUATION, AND BRIEFED THE PAXS. WE ENTERED A L DOWNWIND AT ACT AND LANDED ON RWY 1. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED WE HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR APPROX 6 HRS AND HAD FLOWN 3 HRS. (DFW-ABI-DFW). DUE TO WORKLOAD AT THE TIME OF ENG FAILURE I DID NOT THINK ABOUT DECLARING AN EMER WITH ATC. THIS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE NEED TO CONTACT FTW CTR AND THE ENSUING CONFUSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 146217. JUST PRIOR TO ENG FAILURE I HAD DISCUSSED WITH THE CAPT THE HIGH TURNING SPD THE L ENG WAS TURNING (98 PERCENT) AND THAT DURING PREVIOUS TKOFS TO GET MINIMUM PWR IT WAS CLOSE TO MAX LIMIT. VISLY INSPECTING THE AIRPLANE IT WAS OUR SPECULATION THAT A TURBINE HAD COME APART BECAUSE OF THE PIECES OF METAL LAYING IN THE EXHAUST AND THE DENTS AND SCRATCHES INSIDE THE EXHAUST CAUSED BY EXITING METAL PIECES. THERE WAS ALSO OIL INSIDE THE EXHAUST.

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.