Narrative:

We had been at cruise; FL390; for about 15 mins after deviating around WX. Turbulence was continuous light; occasional moderate. Clouds were below us and it was fairly clear above; stars visible at night. Noticed #1 engine rollback to 25-50% with some surging. Asked first officer to declare emergency; request lower altitude; and refer to QRH for engine stall and vibration (3 or so on vibration indicator). Reduced power on engine; descended; followed checklist; descended to single-engine optimum cruise altitude slowly as speed was reduced; increased power to other engine; had first officer talk to flight attendants and passenger about situation; and discussed diversion possibilities. I considered ZZZ but was still too high to circle down and decided on ZZZ1 which was in gliding range; about 80 mi or so. Had first officer text dispatch on ACARS that ZZZ1 is where we were going to land and advised ATC to have emergency equipment standing by as a precaution since the engine was at idle power with no abnormal indications at this time. Landed uneventfully using single-engine procedures; met by emergency equipment which followed us in. Company arranged for another terminating aircraft to continue flight with all of the passenger and crew (first officer and I deadheaded; per company convenience) to our destination a couple of hours later. First officer and flight attendants handled entire situation professionally and calmly. First officer's prior military experience in the aircraft; even though he has only been at company for less than a yr; was exemplary. Flight attendants had a couple of passenger that were nervous but they calmed them down and kept them calm. I decided not to have the flight attendants prepare the cabin for an emergency briefing to keep the passenger calm; since we did have 2 engines running; with no immediate danger. Supplemental information from acn 798940: I ACARS'd dispatch to let them know what we were doing. He suggested ZZZ as it was closer. At the time it was at 9 O'clock position and 50 mi. We decided to continue to ZZZ1 as we still had a lot of coordinating to do and checklists to finish. We were also on a normal idle descent profile for ZZZ1 and would have had to steepen our descent considerably to get into ZZZ. It would have been extremely helpful to have the closest airports button available on the FMC. Closest airports button should be added to the FMC so that we can make an instant evaluate of closest airports distance and suitability.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 NG FLT CREW EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE STALL; DECLARED AN EMERGENCY; AND DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN AT CRUISE; FL390; FOR ABOUT 15 MINS AFTER DEVIATING AROUND WX. TURB WAS CONTINUOUS LIGHT; OCCASIONAL MODERATE. CLOUDS WERE BELOW US AND IT WAS FAIRLY CLEAR ABOVE; STARS VISIBLE AT NIGHT. NOTICED #1 ENG ROLLBACK TO 25-50% WITH SOME SURGING. ASKED FO TO DECLARE EMER; REQUEST LOWER ALT; AND REFER TO QRH FOR ENG STALL AND VIBRATION (3 OR SO ON VIBRATION INDICATOR). REDUCED PWR ON ENG; DSNDED; FOLLOWED CHKLIST; DSNDED TO SINGLE-ENG OPTIMUM CRUISE ALT SLOWLY AS SPD WAS REDUCED; INCREASED PWR TO OTHER ENG; HAD FO TALK TO FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX ABOUT SITUATION; AND DISCUSSED DIVERSION POSSIBILITIES. I CONSIDERED ZZZ BUT WAS STILL TOO HIGH TO CIRCLE DOWN AND DECIDED ON ZZZ1 WHICH WAS IN GLIDING RANGE; ABOUT 80 MI OR SO. HAD FO TEXT DISPATCH ON ACARS THAT ZZZ1 IS WHERE WE WERE GOING TO LAND AND ADVISED ATC TO HAVE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY AS A PRECAUTION SINCE THE ENG WAS AT IDLE PWR WITH NO ABNORMAL INDICATIONS AT THIS TIME. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY USING SINGLE-ENG PROCS; MET BY EMER EQUIP WHICH FOLLOWED US IN. COMPANY ARRANGED FOR ANOTHER TERMINATING ACFT TO CONTINUE FLT WITH ALL OF THE PAX AND CREW (FO AND I DEADHEADED; PER COMPANY CONVENIENCE) TO OUR DEST A COUPLE OF HRS LATER. FO AND FLT ATTENDANTS HANDLED ENTIRE SITUATION PROFESSIONALLY AND CALMLY. FO'S PRIOR MIL EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT; EVEN THOUGH HE HAS ONLY BEEN AT COMPANY FOR LESS THAN A YR; WAS EXEMPLARY. FLT ATTENDANTS HAD A COUPLE OF PAX THAT WERE NERVOUS BUT THEY CALMED THEM DOWN AND KEPT THEM CALM. I DECIDED NOT TO HAVE THE FLT ATTENDANTS PREPARE THE CABIN FOR AN EMER BRIEFING TO KEEP THE PAX CALM; SINCE WE DID HAVE 2 ENGS RUNNING; WITH NO IMMEDIATE DANGER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 798940: I ACARS'D DISPATCH TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING. HE SUGGESTED ZZZ AS IT WAS CLOSER. AT THE TIME IT WAS AT 9 O'CLOCK POS AND 50 MI. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ1 AS WE STILL HAD A LOT OF COORDINATING TO DO AND CHKLISTS TO FINISH. WE WERE ALSO ON A NORMAL IDLE DSCNT PROFILE FOR ZZZ1 AND WOULD HAVE HAD TO STEEPEN OUR DSCNT CONSIDERABLY TO GET INTO ZZZ. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL TO HAVE THE CLOSEST ARPTS BUTTON AVAILABLE ON THE FMC. CLOSEST ARPTS BUTTON SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE FMC SO THAT WE CAN MAKE AN INSTANT EVAL OF CLOSEST ARPTS DISTANCE AND SUITABILITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.