Narrative:

Approximately 2 hours into the flight at cruise altitude, we heard a loud bang, encountered smoke in the cockpit/cabin and experienced severe vibration. We had N1 rotation, but no N2. The smoke dissipated rather rapidly, and we finished the engine shutdown procedure for the left engine, but with the engine damage and continued N1 rotation we continued to experience severe vibration until touchdown. Due to the vibration, we elected to divert with ATC's help to the nearest suitable airport in point of time, that being ZZZ. Other than the vibration, we experienced a 'normal' single engine landing. Upon stopping on the runway, the fire department indicated there was no smoke or fire, so we elected not to evacuate/evacuation the aircraft and to proceed to the terminal where all passenger were deplaned via the jetbridge. However, shortly after arriving at the gate with approximately 1/3 of the passenger off the plane, the fire department indicated we were losing a large amount of fuel from the bottom of the left engine. They did their best to contain it and without raising alarm, we had the flight attendants expedite removing the passenger from the aircraft into the terminal. We then obtained a tug and pushed the aircraft back, away from the terminal. Approximately 30 mins later, the fuel leak stopped. Total time from onset of emergency to landing was approximately 10-12 mins. The passenger, while upset remained remarkably calm and cooperative and the flight attendants did a superb job in a very short time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC ENG FAILURE AT CRUISE ALT. THE CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: APPROX 2 HRS INTO THE FLT AT CRUISE ALT, WE HEARD A LOUD BANG, ENCOUNTERED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT/CABIN AND EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATION. WE HAD N1 ROTATION, BUT NO N2. THE SMOKE DISSIPATED RATHER RAPIDLY, AND WE FINISHED THE ENG SHUTDOWN PROC FOR THE L ENG, BUT WITH THE ENG DAMAGE AND CONTINUED N1 ROTATION WE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE VIBRATION UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. DUE TO THE VIBRATION, WE ELECTED TO DIVERT WITH ATC'S HELP TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT IN POINT OF TIME, THAT BEING ZZZ. OTHER THAN THE VIBRATION, WE EXPERIENCED A 'NORMAL' SINGLE ENG LNDG. UPON STOPPING ON THE RWY, THE FIRE DEPT INDICATED THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FIRE, SO WE ELECTED NOT TO EVAC THE ACFT AND TO PROCEED TO THE TERMINAL WHERE ALL PAX WERE DEPLANED VIA THE JETBRIDGE. HOWEVER, SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE WITH APPROX 1/3 OF THE PAX OFF THE PLANE, THE FIRE DEPT INDICATED WE WERE LOSING A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE L ENG. THEY DID THEIR BEST TO CONTAIN IT AND WITHOUT RAISING ALARM, WE HAD THE FLT ATTENDANTS EXPEDITE REMOVING THE PAX FROM THE ACFT INTO THE TERMINAL. WE THEN OBTAINED A TUG AND PUSHED THE ACFT BACK, AWAY FROM THE TERMINAL. APPROX 30 MINS LATER, THE FUEL LEAK STOPPED. TOTAL TIME FROM ONSET OF EMER TO LNDG WAS APPROX 10-12 MINS. THE PAX, WHILE UPSET REMAINED REMARKABLY CALM AND COOPERATIVE AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID A SUPERB JOB IN A VERY SHORT TIME.

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.