AN A319'S LEFT ENG COMPRESSOR STALLS AFTER TKOF. WITH ENG AT IDLE; CREW DECLARED AN EMER AND FLEW TO A NEARBY ARPT. COMPRESSOR DAMAGE DISCOVERED.

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DEPARTING. UPON INITIAL PWR REDUCTION AT 1000 FT AGL; SEVERE VIBRATION AND LOUD BANGING EXPERIENCED. FO (PM) IDENTED CONDITION AS COMPRESSOR STALL; AND POSITIVELY IDENTED L ENG (#1) AS SOURCE. FO REDUCED L THRUST LEVER TO IDLE WHILE CO (PF) CONTINUED TO FLY ACFT. VIBRATION AND BANGING IMMEDIATELY CEASED. FLT ATTENDANT RPTED OBSERVING 'SPARKS' COMING FROM ENG; AND COMMUTING PLT IN CABIN RPTED A 6-8 FT FLAME BEING EMITTED FROM ENG. SINCE ACFT WAS CLBING AND ACCELERATING SAFELY AWAY FROM CONGESTED ZZZ-ZZZ1 AIRSPACE; AND HEADED IN DIRECTION OF DEST (NE; TOWARD ZZZZZ INTXN); CREW APPLIED CRM AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON NE HDG AND USE THE TIME; ALT; AND LESS CONGESTED AIRSPACE TO THEIR BENEFIT TO TROUBLESHOOT PROB. (NOTE: THERE IS NO PROC OR GUIDANCE IN EITHER QRH OR PLT HANDBOOK REGARDING COMPRESSOR STALL. THE ONLY ECAM CAUTION DISPLAYED WAS 'AIR; ENG 1 BLEED FAULT.' ECAM ACTION COMPLIED WITH.) AT IDLE PWR; ALL L ENG READINGS (VIBRATION; TEMP; OIL PRESSURE; ETC) WERE NORMAL. CREW DECIDED TO LEVEL AT 10000 FT MSL AND ATTEMPT TO RESTORE PWR ON L ENG. AS THRUST LEVER WAS ADVANCED SLOWLY TOWARD 40-50% N1; BANGING AND VIBRATION COMMENCED AGAIN; CO; WHO HAD REASSUMED PF ROLE AFTER CHKING QRH AND CHKING ALL OTHER SOURCES FOR GUIDANCE; REDUCED THRUST LEVER TO IDLE; WHICH AGAIN CAUSED NOISE AND VIBRATION TO STOP. CREW DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ZZZ2 -- DIRECTLY AHEAD OF THEM; WITH A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO A 9500 FT RWY; CLR SKIES; CALM WINDS; AND LIGHT TFC; AS OPPOSED TO RETURNING TO HEAVILY CONGESTED AIRSPACE AND ADDING UNNECESSARY STRESS TO THE SITUATION. CREW DECLARED EMER WITH ATC; CONTACTED DISPATCH; CONTACTED ZZZ2 OPS; AND BRIEFED FLT ATTENDANTS TO PREPARE FOR NORMAL LNDG. PAX ALSO ADVISED OF DECISION TO MAKE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. FLT MADE UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT ZZZ2 WITH L ENG IN IDLE. FOLLOW-UP CALL TO MAINT CTL THE MORNING AFTER EVENT; CO ADVISED ENG WAS STILL BEING INSPECTED BY A ZZZ3 MAINT CREW SENT TO ZZZ3 AND THAT; JUDGING BY SIMILAR OCCURRENCES; INTERNAL DAMAGE TO ENG COMPRESSOR SECTION IS SUSPECTED. PLTS ARE TRAINED TO ALWAYS REFER TO QRH FOR GUIDANCE DURING ABNORMAL SITUATIONS. AFTER TURNING FLYING DUTIES OVER TO FO ONCE ACFT WAS STABILIZED; CO SPENT SEVERAL PRECIOUS MINS SEARCHING THE VARIOUS INDICES AND APPENDICES OF THE QRH; FINALLY DISCOVERING; TO HIS DISBELIEF; THAT THERE WAS NO REF TO THIS ANOMALY ANYWHERE. SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS INSTRUCTING CREW TO REDUCE THRUST TO IDLE; AND THEN EXAMINE ENG PARAMETERS TO DETERMINE IF ENG CAN BE LEFT RUNNING; AND DISSUADE CREWS WHO MAY BE SPRING-LOADED TO SHUT ENG DOWN; AND FURTHER EXACERBATE SITUATION; WOULD BE USEFUL. CO RECALLS HAVING COMPRESSOR STALL MAYBE ONCE IN SIMULATOR TRAINING; BUT SEVERAL YRS AGO. THIS EVENT; WITH LOUD BANGING AND VIBRATING; IS VERY STRESSFUL TO CREW; FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX; AND IMMEDIATE GUIDANCE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO CREW IN QRH.