Narrative:

During cruise flight at 10000' approximately 8 south of bfl the left engine catastrophically failed. All engine indications were normal up to the engine failure. There was an explosive sound accompanied by a vibration through the air frame. The first officer was the PF and remained so until I accomplished the memory items for this emergency. I then took the controls while the first officer accomplished the non-memory items. An emergency was declared and we diverted to bfl. We were cleared to descend at pilot's discretion and were over bfl by 5500' and spiraled down over the airport to enter a left downwind for 30R. For approximately 5-7 mins after the failure, there was fire (4-6' flame) coming form each exhaust stack. This dissipated by the time we entered left downwind. A single engine approach and landed was accomplished at bfl west/O incident. There were no indications of fire, so we had the fire trucks follow us to the gate where we deplaned the passenger. We had 16 passenger on board with maximum bags and landed approximately 100 pounds below maximum landing weight. The passenger were briefed to 'brace' as depicted on their briefing colds prior to landing. A quick initial inspection of the engine by a mechanic indicated that all 3 stages of the compressor section and both power turbines had come apart. As for what caused the problem or what can be done to collect the problem. That's for someone else to say. I'm submitting this report because while I'm sure no far's were violated or other similar problems encountered, I was to keep everything covered in case something unforeseen comes up.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER SMT ENGINE FAILURE AT CRUISE ALT. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT AT 10000' APPROX 8 S OF BFL THE LEFT ENG CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED. ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL UP TO THE ENG FAILURE. THERE WAS AN EXPLOSIVE SOUND ACCOMPANIED BY A VIBRATION THROUGH THE AIR FRAME. THE F/O WAS THE PF AND REMAINED SO UNTIL I ACCOMPLISHED THE MEMORY ITEMS FOR THIS EMER. I THEN TOOK THE CTLS WHILE THE F/O ACCOMPLISHED THE NON-MEMORY ITEMS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND WE DIVERTED TO BFL. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION AND WERE OVER BFL BY 5500' AND SPIRALED DOWN OVER THE ARPT TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR 30R. FOR APPROX 5-7 MINS AFTER THE FAILURE, THERE WAS FIRE (4-6' FLAME) COMING FORM EACH EXHAUST STACK. THIS DISSIPATED BY THE TIME WE ENTERED LEFT DOWNWIND. A SINGLE ENG APCH AND LANDED WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT BFL W/O INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF FIRE, SO WE HAD THE FIRE TRUCKS FOLLOW US TO THE GATE WHERE WE DEPLANED THE PAX. WE HAD 16 PAX ON BOARD WITH MAX BAGS AND LANDED APPROX 100 LBS BELOW MAX LNDG WT. THE PAX WERE BRIEFED TO 'BRACE' AS DEPICTED ON THEIR BRIEFING COLDS PRIOR TO LNDG. A QUICK INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE ENG BY A MECH INDICATED THAT ALL 3 STAGES OF THE COMPRESSOR SECTION AND BOTH PWR TURBINES HAD COME APART. AS FOR WHAT CAUSED THE PROB OR WHAT CAN BE DONE TO COLLECT THE PROB. THAT'S FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO SAY. I'M SUBMITTING THIS RPT BECAUSE WHILE I'M SURE NO FAR'S WERE VIOLATED OR OTHER SIMILAR PROBS ENCOUNTERED, I WAS TO KEEP EVERYTHING COVERED IN CASE SOMETHING UNFORESEEN COMES UP.

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.