AN MD80 EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC ENG FAILURE AT CRUISE ALT. THE CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative

APPROX 2 HRS INTO THE FLT AT CRUISE ALT; WE HEARD A LOUD BANG; ENCOUNTERED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT/CABIN AND EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATION. WE HAD N1 ROTATION; BUT NO N2. THE SMOKE DISSIPATED RATHER RAPIDLY; AND WE FINISHED THE ENG SHUTDOWN PROC FOR THE L ENG; BUT WITH THE ENG DAMAGE AND CONTINUED N1 ROTATION WE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE VIBRATION UNTIL TOUCHDOWN. DUE TO THE VIBRATION; WE ELECTED TO DIVERT WITH ATC'S HELP TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT IN POINT OF TIME; THAT BEING ZZZ. OTHER THAN THE VIBRATION; WE EXPERIENCED A 'NORMAL' SINGLE ENG LNDG. UPON STOPPING ON THE RWY; THE FIRE DEPT INDICATED THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FIRE; SO WE ELECTED NOT TO EVAC THE ACFT AND TO PROCEED TO THE TERMINAL WHERE ALL PAX WERE DEPLANED VIA THE JETBRIDGE. HOWEVER; SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE WITH APPROX 1/3 OF THE PAX OFF THE PLANE; THE FIRE DEPT INDICATED WE WERE LOSING A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE L ENG. THEY DID THEIR BEST TO CONTAIN IT AND WITHOUT RAISING ALARM; WE HAD THE FLT ATTENDANTS EXPEDITE REMOVING THE PAX FROM THE ACFT INTO THE TERMINAL. WE THEN OBTAINED A TUG AND PUSHED THE ACFT BACK; AWAY FROM THE TERMINAL. APPROX 30 MINS LATER; THE FUEL LEAK STOPPED. TOTAL TIME FROM ONSET OF EMER TO LNDG WAS APPROX 10-12 MINS. THE PAX; WHILE UPSET REMAINED REMARKABLY CALM AND COOPERATIVE AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID A SUPERB JOB IN A VERY SHORT TIME.