Narrative:

All engine indications were normal from start through taxi and takeoff. Engine run-up on takeoff was normal. Climb power was selected on schedule during climb out; and thrust remained at climb power until the engine failure. Climbing through about 13000 ft we heard a loud bang. I felt a shock through the airframe. The force of the failure caused the tail to move right and slightly down. Concurrently; the aircraft jerked into a 20 degree left bank. I immediately noticed that the left engine RPM had rolled back. I thought it was showing sub-idle; N2 about 40 percent. I called 'left engine' and the captain made the same call almost simultaneously. Captain said he was going to pull the left throttle back; I agreed; and then he did it. There were no secondary indications. No lights; noises; or vibrations. Captain told me to get immediate clearance back to ZZZ and declare an emergency. I did that; and then took the radios for all subsequent communications. I wasted several seconds trying to get a divert report out through the ACARS. I gave up on that; and asked the captain if he wanted me to give the test to the flight attendants. He said yes and I did; telling them we were not planning an evacuation. I scanned the rest of the emergency landing checklist and didn't see anything else I wanted to do. At this point we were on a 9 mile base and still above the clouds. After landing; it took two or more xmissions from the captain to get an all clear report from crash fire rescue equipment. We taxied back to the gate without assistance. Maintenance gave me a chance to look at the engine. Looking forward; up the tailpipe; there was a softball size hole in the turbine section; through which I could see all the way up to the compressor blades. There was no apparent FOD damage looking at the forward end of the engine. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the engine was a P&west JT8D-219 and was a contained failure with massive turbine damage. Maintenance had made no report to the crew on the engine component failure. The engine was replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD83 IN CLB AT 13000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO L ENG FAILURE. LARGE CONTAINED TURBINE FAILURE.

Narrative: ALL ENGINE INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL FROM START THROUGH TAXI AND TKOF. ENGINE RUN-UP ON TKOF WAS NORMAL. CLB POWER WAS SELECTED ON SCHEDULE DURING CLB OUT; AND THRUST REMAINED AT CLB POWER UNTIL THE ENGINE FAILURE. CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 13000 FT WE HEARD A LOUD BANG. I FELT A SHOCK THROUGH THE AIRFRAME. THE FORCE OF THE FAILURE CAUSED THE TAIL TO MOVE R AND SLIGHTLY DOWN. CONCURRENTLY; THE ACFT JERKED INTO A 20 DEG L BANK. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE L ENG RPM HAD ROLLED BACK. I THOUGHT IT WAS SHOWING SUB-IDLE; N2 ABOUT 40 PERCENT. I CALLED 'L ENG' AND THE CAPT MADE THE SAME CALL ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY. CAPT SAID HE WAS GOING TO PULL THE L THROTTLE BACK; I AGREED; AND THEN HE DID IT. THERE WERE NO SECONDARY INDICATIONS. NO LIGHTS; NOISES; OR VIBRATIONS. CAPT TOLD ME TO GET IMMEDIATE CLRNC BACK TO ZZZ AND DECLARE AN EMER. I DID THAT; AND THEN TOOK THE RADIOS FOR ALL SUBSEQUENT COMS. I WASTED SEVERAL SECONDS TRYING TO GET A DIVERT RPT OUT THROUGH THE ACARS. I GAVE UP ON THAT; AND ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WANTED ME TO GIVE THE TEST TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. HE SAID YES AND I DID; TELLING THEM WE WERE NOT PLANNING AN EVACUATION. I SCANNED THE REST OF THE EMER LNDG CHKLIST AND DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ELSE I WANTED TO DO. AT THIS POINT WE WERE ON A 9 MILE BASE AND STILL ABOVE THE CLOUDS. AFTER LNDG; IT TOOK TWO OR MORE XMISSIONS FROM THE CAPT TO GET AN ALL CLR RPT FROM CFR. WE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. MAINT GAVE ME A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE ENG. LOOKING FORWARD; UP THE TAILPIPE; THERE WAS A SOFTBALL SIZE HOLE IN THE TURBINE SECTION; THROUGH WHICH I COULD SEE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE COMPRESSOR BLADES. THERE WAS NO APPARENT FOD DAMAGE LOOKING AT THE FORWARD END OF THE ENG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ENG WAS A P&W JT8D-219 AND WAS A CONTAINED FAILURE WITH MASSIVE TURBINE DAMAGE. MAINT HAD MADE NO RPT TO THE CREW ON THE ENG COMPONENT FAILURE. THE ENG WAS REPLACED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.