Narrative:

In cruise at FL360; 140 NM north of ZZZ2 when right engine failed. Both myself and the copilot; who was the PF felt the rollback. We started putting in trim; running checklists; notifying ATC and declaring an emergency. We started a descent and turn-back to dry land. Our dispatcher advised that both ZZZ2 and ZZZ1 had good WX. We chose ZZZ2 since it was closer. I elected to not attempt a restart due to the close proximity of the airport and the unknown state of the engine. I had the relief pilot review the overweight landing information in our QRH. Once he determined that we had plenty of runway; I elected to land immediately rather than burn off fuel. I decided to have the copilot continue to fly and land; so that I could keep good situational awareness. The landing was excellent and crash/fire had nothing to report. We continued taxiing to the ramp. I feel our company's recent training emphasis on engine failures on the track system definitely helped us. Our working together as a team; both the pilots and flight attendants helped us to accomplish everything and in a timely manner. Supplemental information from acn 809509: at 36000 ft on the track system the captain requested for me to get back to my cockpit station; while I was in my scheduled crew break. When I returned to the cockpit I was informed that the right engine had failed; we had declared an emergency; and we were in the process of diverting. All the pertinent checklist were completed; flight attendants; and passenger were briefed; and we proceeded to land; single engine; without any further incident. We found out later that there was a mechanical failure in the engine's gearbox; which caused the engine failure. I believe this event was unavoidable; and I feel that the entire crew did a fantastic job coordinating our divert. ATC was very accommodating; and dispatch did what they could over ACARS; to help us out. I believe CRM was used extremely well; and the way we handled this situation is a text book demonstration on how to handle an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLIGHT CREW REPORTS ENGINE FAILURE AT FL360 AND DIVERSION TO NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: IN CRUISE AT FL360; 140 NM N OF ZZZ2 WHEN R ENG FAILED. BOTH MYSELF AND THE COPLT; WHO WAS THE PF FELT THE ROLLBACK. WE STARTED PUTTING IN TRIM; RUNNING CHKLISTS; NOTIFYING ATC AND DECLARING AN EMER. WE STARTED A DSCNT AND TURN-BACK TO DRY LAND. OUR DISPATCHER ADVISED THAT BOTH ZZZ2 AND ZZZ1 HAD GOOD WX. WE CHOSE ZZZ2 SINCE IT WAS CLOSER. I ELECTED TO NOT ATTEMPT A RESTART DUE TO THE CLOSE PROX OF THE ARPT AND THE UNKNOWN STATE OF THE ENG. I HAD THE RELIEF PLT REVIEW THE OVERWT LNDG INFO IN OUR QRH. ONCE HE DETERMINED THAT WE HAD PLENTY OF RWY; I ELECTED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY RATHER THAN BURN OFF FUEL. I DECIDED TO HAVE THE COPLT CONTINUE TO FLY AND LAND; SO THAT I COULD KEEP GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. THE LNDG WAS EXCELLENT AND CRASH/FIRE HAD NOTHING TO RPT. WE CONTINUED TAXIING TO THE RAMP. I FEEL OUR COMPANY'S RECENT TRAINING EMPHASIS ON ENG FAILURES ON THE TRACK SYS DEFINITELY HELPED US. OUR WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM; BOTH THE PLTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS HELPED US TO ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING AND IN A TIMELY MANNER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 809509: AT 36000 FT ON THE TRACK SYS THE CAPT REQUESTED FOR ME TO GET BACK TO MY COCKPIT STATION; WHILE I WAS IN MY SCHEDULED CREW BREAK. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT I WAS INFORMED THAT THE R ENG HAD FAILED; WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER; AND WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF DIVERTING. ALL THE PERTINENT CHKLIST WERE COMPLETED; FLT ATTENDANTS; AND PAX WERE BRIEFED; AND WE PROCEEDED TO LAND; SINGLE ENG; WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT THERE WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE IN THE ENG'S GEARBOX; WHICH CAUSED THE ENG FAILURE. I BELIEVE THIS EVENT WAS UNAVOIDABLE; AND I FEEL THAT THE ENTIRE CREW DID A FANTASTIC JOB COORDINATING OUR DIVERT. ATC WAS VERY ACCOMMODATING; AND DISPATCH DID WHAT THEY COULD OVER ACARS; TO HELP US OUT. I BELIEVE CRM WAS USED EXTREMELY WELL; AND THE WAY WE HANDLED THIS SITUATION IS A TEXT BOOK DEMO ON HOW TO HANDLE AN EMER.

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.