Narrative:

While en route to new from cle, at FL470 (approximately 1 hour 45 mins into flight), a loud bang was heard, followed immediately by the engine chip light, the right oil pressure low light, and spool-down of the right (#2) engine. An immediate descent was requested and received from ZME while engine was secured. Asked center for closest suitable airport(south), mem was suggested. We declared an emergency, completed all poh checklists for descent, approach and landing. A normal, uneventful single engine landing was accomplished in mem. The aircraft had just come out of a 1200 hour inspection. Another crew had squawked engine whine and vibration of right engine before inspection, and the aircraft sent to inspection early because of this complaint. The engine was thoroughly inspected by a maintenance facility, but they could not find anything wrong. Before engine failure, performance, sound and indications of engine all appeared to be normal. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: when the engine was in for early inspection, maintenance performed a soap test and vibration analysis and found no discrepancy. After the flight divert to mem, maintenance follow-up revealed visible metal at the oil filter bypass. Reporter states that out of about 2 cups of oil, 1/2 cup was metal. The engine was sent to garrett and the reporter is awaiting their final analysis. This is the first catastrophic fail of this engine in 4 yrs. Supplemental information from acn 357382: preliminary reports indicate a bearing or accessory gear disintegrated -- immediately compromised oil and oil filter, and shut down the engine. All ATC assistance was excellent and they left us alone at appropriate times since they knew we were extremely busy. Proper training and crew coordination allowed a potential catastrophic failure to be routinely handled. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: there were no unusual temperatures, power lever splits, etc. This first officer was surprised because he always heard that engine fails only occurred during a power change -- this happened without any crew input. This aircraft is equipped with garrett TFE731-2-3B engines.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LR31 EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE DURING CRUISE AT FL470. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE FLT DIVERTED. THE GARRETT ENG HAD BEEN SQUAWKED BY ANOTHER CREW PREVIOUSLY, AND HAD CHKED OUT SATISFACTORY DURING MAINT INSPECTION.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE TO NEW FROM CLE, AT FL470 (APPROX 1 HR 45 MINS INTO FLT), A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE ENG CHIP LIGHT, THE R OIL PRESSURE LOW LIGHT, AND SPOOL-DOWN OF THE R (#2) ENG. AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT WAS REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FROM ZME WHILE ENG WAS SECURED. ASKED CTR FOR CLOSEST SUITABLE ARPT(S), MEM WAS SUGGESTED. WE DECLARED AN EMER, COMPLETED ALL POH CHKLISTS FOR DSCNT, APCH AND LNDG. A NORMAL, UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENG LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN MEM. THE ACFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF A 1200 HR INSPECTION. ANOTHER CREW HAD SQUAWKED ENG WHINE AND VIBRATION OF R ENG BEFORE INSPECTION, AND THE ACFT SENT TO INSPECTION EARLY BECAUSE OF THIS COMPLAINT. THE ENG WAS THOROUGHLY INSPECTED BY A MAINT FACILITY, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. BEFORE ENG FAILURE, PERFORMANCE, SOUND AND INDICATIONS OF ENG ALL APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WHEN THE ENG WAS IN FOR EARLY INSPECTION, MAINT PERFORMED A SOAP TEST AND VIBRATION ANALYSIS AND FOUND NO DISCREPANCY. AFTER THE FLT DIVERT TO MEM, MAINT FOLLOW-UP REVEALED VISIBLE METAL AT THE OIL FILTER BYPASS. RPTR STATES THAT OUT OF ABOUT 2 CUPS OF OIL, 1/2 CUP WAS METAL. THE ENG WAS SENT TO GARRETT AND THE RPTR IS AWAITING THEIR FINAL ANALYSIS. THIS IS THE FIRST CATASTROPHIC FAIL OF THIS ENG IN 4 YRS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 357382: PRELIMINARY RPTS INDICATE A BEARING OR ACCESSORY GEAR DISINTEGRATED -- IMMEDIATELY COMPROMISED OIL AND OIL FILTER, AND SHUT DOWN THE ENG. ALL ATC ASSISTANCE WAS EXCELLENT AND THEY LEFT US ALONE AT APPROPRIATE TIMES SINCE THEY KNEW WE WERE EXTREMELY BUSY. PROPER TRAINING AND CREW COORD ALLOWED A POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO BE ROUTINELY HANDLED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL TEMPS, POWER LEVER SPLITS, ETC. THIS FO WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE HE ALWAYS HEARD THAT ENG FAILS ONLY OCCURRED DURING A PWR CHANGE -- THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY CREW INPUT. THIS ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH GARRETT TFE731-2-3B ENGS.

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.