Narrative:

At takeoff rotation, the #3 engine failed. Mia tower was notified. I climbed the aircraft at V2 speed. We asked for a return to mia. The #3 engine was confirmed and then, with the checklist, shut down. The tower was told we needed to dump fuel, an emergency was confirmed. The flight attendants were briefed of the situation. A PA announcement was made, that we had to return to mia because of the engine failure and that we would be dumping fuel. The so dumped fuel by the checklist. The company was notified by ACARS. Mia operations notified by ATC. The 2 engine approach and landing checklist was completed. A landing was made on runway 12 and was uneventful. We exited the runway and had the aircraft looked at by airport operation personnel, then taxied to our gate. Supplemental information from acn 400789: we subsequently learned we had blade failure of the turbine section. The emergency was handled smoothly and correctly as per our training. The captain was busy flying during the initial part of climb after takeoff or I would have declared an emergency immediately with tower. As first officer I feel I needed the captain's concurrence before declaring an emergency, and in this case I felt things were busy enough to not ask him during initial climb, and we were handed off to departure going through 1500 ft where I declared an emergency with departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT LOSES #3 ENG DURING ROTATION. ACFT DUMPS FUEL FOR A RETURN LAND. EMER DECLARED WITH DEP CTLR.

Narrative: AT TKOF ROTATION, THE #3 ENG FAILED. MIA TWR WAS NOTIFIED. I CLBED THE ACFT AT V2 SPD. WE ASKED FOR A RETURN TO MIA. THE #3 ENG WAS CONFIRMED AND THEN, WITH THE CHKLIST, SHUT DOWN. THE TWR WAS TOLD WE NEEDED TO DUMP FUEL, AN EMER WAS CONFIRMED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE BRIEFED OF THE SIT. A PA ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE, THAT WE HAD TO RETURN TO MIA BECAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE AND THAT WE WOULD BE DUMPING FUEL. THE SO DUMPED FUEL BY THE CHKLIST. THE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED BY ACARS. MIA OPS NOTIFIED BY ATC. THE 2 ENG APCH AND LNDG CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. A LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 12 AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE EXITED THE RWY AND HAD THE ACFT LOOKED AT BY ARPT OP PERSONNEL, THEN TAXIED TO OUR GATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 400789: WE SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED WE HAD BLADE FAILURE OF THE TURBINE SECTION. THE EMER WAS HANDLED SMOOTHLY AND CORRECTLY AS PER OUR TRAINING. THE CAPT WAS BUSY FLYING DURING THE INITIAL PART OF CLB AFTER TKOF OR I WOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER IMMEDIATELY WITH TWR. AS FO I FEEL I NEEDED THE CAPT'S CONCURRENCE BEFORE DECLARING AN EMER, AND IN THIS CASE I FELT THINGS WERE BUSY ENOUGH TO NOT ASK HIM DURING INITIAL CLB, AND WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DEP GOING THROUGH 1500 FT WHERE I DECLARED AN EMER WITH DEP.

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.