A B757-200 in cruise at FL350 declared an emergency and diverted due to #1 engine failure.

Attributes
ACN	477653
Time
Date	200007
Day	Sun
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hln.airport
State Reference	MT
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	477653
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : person 4
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

1 hour into redeye flight from sea-dtw, passenger on left side notified flight attendant of sparks coming from the left engine. All engine indications were normal. The captain sent me back to take a look and there was a substantial amount of sparks from the engine (no vibration). Back in the cockpit the engine indications still looked normal. Just as the captain was going to go back and look himself, the left engine failed. We declared an emergency, started a descent, ran the engine failure checklist, talked to dispatch (decided on gtf due to terrain around helena, also gtf had arff on sight) and briefed flight attendants and passenger. Completed a visual approach ILS backup to runway 3 in gtf at XA10. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said after the diversion and talking to maintenance it was determined the engine would be changed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 IN CRUISE AT FL350 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO #1 ENG FAILURE.

Narrative: 1 HR INTO REDEYE FLT FROM SEA-DTW, PAX ON L SIDE NOTIFIED FLT ATTENDANT OF SPARKS COMING FROM THE L ENG. ALL ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. THE CAPT SENT ME BACK TO TAKE A LOOK AND THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SPARKS FROM THE ENG (NO VIBRATION). BACK IN THE COCKPIT THE ENG INDICATIONS STILL LOOKED NORMAL. JUST AS THE CAPT WAS GOING TO GO BACK AND LOOK HIMSELF, THE L ENG FAILED. WE DECLARED AN EMER, STARTED A DSCNT, RAN THE ENG FAILURE CHKLIST, TALKED TO DISPATCH (DECIDED ON GTF DUE TO TERRAIN AROUND HELENA, ALSO GTF HAD ARFF ON SIGHT) AND BRIEFED FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX. COMPLETED A VISUAL APCH ILS BACKUP TO RWY 3 IN GTF AT XA10. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID AFTER THE DIVERSION AND TALKING TO MAINT IT WAS DETERMINED THE ENG WOULD BE CHANGED.

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.