Narrative:

As we prepared for our flight from dtw to lax, I was informed by the first officer that we were going to use an aircraft which had diverted into dtw with an engine shutdown due to an oil filter EICAS message. Our maintenance people had found no clogging of the oil filter and felt it was an indication problem. They made their corrections and signed off the aircraft. We took off and climbed to FL390 and were cruising less than 30 mins at that altitude when the same indication (left oil filter) occurred. After complying with our cockpit operations manual procedures, we diverted into dsm. The whole event took place in 'textbook' fashion just as we train for in the simulator. The one thing I came away from this event thinking should be addressed is that in airline operation we are trained extensively in keeping ATC, dispatch, the flight attendants and passenger briefed, but when we divert in circumstances such as this, we are not aware of the status of our facilities at the station we end up going to. I would like to see a plan implemented where station personnel run a quick checklist of their resources and report to dispatch any deficiencies which might have an impact on the suitability of an airport. WX and 'ficons' are known, but gate availability, personnel, and medical facilities should be checked again in view of the sudden diversion to ensure adequacy. This information could be relayed to the crew so they don't end up at an airport which may be suitable geographically, but not suitable for some other compelling reason. Supplemental information from acn 556755: when the captain noticed a left oil filter advisory level EICAS message, he told me to continue flying and talk to ATC while he completed the appropriate checklists. I requested an initial descent to FL350 as the captain shut down the left engine per procedures. He then contacted dispatch and was told to proceed to dsm as the emergency divert airport. I declared the emergency and requested further descent. Descent, approach, and landing at dsm were uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FLC DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER SHUTTING DOWN 1 ENG AT FL390 DUE TO OIL FILTER CLOGGING WARNING.

Narrative: AS WE PREPARED FOR OUR FLT FROM DTW TO LAX, I WAS INFORMED BY THE FO THAT WE WERE GOING TO USE AN ACFT WHICH HAD DIVERTED INTO DTW WITH AN ENG SHUTDOWN DUE TO AN OIL FILTER EICAS MESSAGE. OUR MAINT PEOPLE HAD FOUND NO CLOGGING OF THE OIL FILTER AND FELT IT WAS AN INDICATION PROB. THEY MADE THEIR CORRECTIONS AND SIGNED OFF THE ACFT. WE TOOK OFF AND CLBED TO FL390 AND WERE CRUISING LESS THAN 30 MINS AT THAT ALT WHEN THE SAME INDICATION (L OIL FILTER) OCCURRED. AFTER COMPLYING WITH OUR COCKPIT OPS MANUAL PROCS, WE DIVERTED INTO DSM. THE WHOLE EVENT TOOK PLACE IN 'TEXTBOOK' FASHION JUST AS WE TRAIN FOR IN THE SIMULATOR. THE ONE THING I CAME AWAY FROM THIS EVENT THINKING SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IS THAT IN AIRLINE OP WE ARE TRAINED EXTENSIVELY IN KEEPING ATC, DISPATCH, THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX BRIEFED, BUT WHEN WE DIVERT IN CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THIS, WE ARE NOT AWARE OF THE STATUS OF OUR FACILITIES AT THE STATION WE END UP GOING TO. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PLAN IMPLEMENTED WHERE STATION PERSONNEL RUN A QUICK CHKLIST OF THEIR RESOURCES AND RPT TO DISPATCH ANY DEFICIENCIES WHICH MIGHT HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE SUITABILITY OF AN ARPT. WX AND 'FICONS' ARE KNOWN, BUT GATE AVAILABILITY, PERSONNEL, AND MEDICAL FACILITIES SHOULD BE CHKED AGAIN IN VIEW OF THE SUDDEN DIVERSION TO ENSURE ADEQUACY. THIS INFO COULD BE RELAYED TO THE CREW SO THEY DON'T END UP AT AN ARPT WHICH MAY BE SUITABLE GEOGRAPHICALLY, BUT NOT SUITABLE FOR SOME OTHER COMPELLING REASON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 556755: WHEN THE CAPT NOTICED A L OIL FILTER ADVISORY LEVEL EICAS MESSAGE, HE TOLD ME TO CONTINUE FLYING AND TALK TO ATC WHILE HE COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS. I REQUESTED AN INITIAL DSCNT TO FL350 AS THE CAPT SHUT DOWN THE L ENG PER PROCS. HE THEN CONTACTED DISPATCH AND WAS TOLD TO PROCEED TO DSM AS THE EMER DIVERT ARPT. I DECLARED THE EMER AND REQUESTED FURTHER DSCNT. DSCNT, APCH, AND LNDG AT DSM WERE UNEVENTFUL.

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.