B717 FLT CREW HAS ENG MALFUNCTION; SECURES ENG AND DIVERTS TO MCO.

Narrative

AT FL310; CLBING TO FL330; AN AMBER X APPEARED ON THE L OIL PRESSURE INDICATION. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE INDICATION REAPPEARED; SHOWING 0 PSI ALONG WITH 'L OIL PRESSURE LOW' ALERT. THEN THE X REAPPEARED; BEFORE SWITCHING BACK TO READING 0 PSI. WE FOLLOWED THE FIRST QRH STEP; THROTTLE IDLE; WHILE NOTIFYING ATC OF A DSCNT TO FL290. AT THIS TIME; ALL OTHER ENG INDICATIONS WERE 100% NORMAL; INCLUDING 12 QUARTS OF OIL; AND OIL TEMP NORMAL. BEFORE ACCOMPLISHING THE NEXT STEP; ENG SHUTDOWN; BECAUSE WE SUSPECTED A BAD INDICATION; WITH MY CONCURRENCE THE CAPT CONTACTED MAINT CTL. MAINT CTL CONCURRED WITH OUR SUSPICION OF A BAD INDICATION AND ADVISED US TO CONTINUE TO ATL. AS I; THE FO AND PF; BEGAN TO ADVANCE THE L ENG THROTTLE; WHILE CAREFULLY MONITORING ALL ENG INDICATIONS; THE CAPT ADVISED ATC THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. WE BEGAN A CLB TO FL330. WITH THE PWR ALMOST FULLY RESTORED; WE HEARD SEVERAL LOUD BANGS; ALONG WITH PUFFS OF SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. WITH THE QRH STILL OPEN; THE CA ACCOMPLISHED THE NEXT STEP; FUEL CTL SWITCH OFF; THEN HE ASKED FOR IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND VECTOR TO MCO. THE CAPT ALSO ANSWERED A CALL FROM THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT; INFORMING THE CAPT OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN; BUT DISSIPATING. THE CAPT GAVE THE FLT ATTENDANT A BRIEF MESSAGE; THEN ACCOMPLISHED THE ENG SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. DURING THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THAT CHKLIST; THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER; WITH SOB AND FOB. HE THEN CALLED THE CABIN; CONFIRMED THE SMOKE HAD STOPPED; AND REPEATED A TEST TO CLARIFY THE SIT. THE CAPT THEN TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT ABOUT 15-18 NM FROM MCO. THE ILS RWY 17 WAS UNEVENTFUL; AS WELL AS THE LNDG. CFR INSPECTED THE ENG; THEN WE TAXIED TO THE GATE.