Piper PA-31T Returns to Maiquetía After Engine Oil Pressure Warning (YV2371)

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details A Piper PA-31T, registration YV2371, operated by Inversiones AGS2022, C.A., departed from the Simón Bolívar International Airport (SVMI) in Maiquetía, Venezuela, bound for the Oscar Machado Zuloaga International Airport (SVCS) in Charallave. The aircraft carried two crew members and one passenger, with a reported fuel load of 2,500 pounds and an endurance of five hours and thirty minutes. The aircraft was certified by the FAA under Type Certificate A8EA and was airworthy at the time of the incident, holding airworthiness certificate number 014927. ## In-Flight Event and Crew Response During the initial climb, the crew received an acoustic alarm and a master warning light at approximately 5,000 feet. The annunciator panel indicated a high-temperature warning for the left engine, followed by a low oil pressure alarm. The crew leveled the aircraft at 7,000 feet and executed the memory items to secure the engine's operability, followed by the low oil pressure checklist. The crew then requested to return to SVMI and declared an emergency to the approach control. They were vectored for an ILS approach to runway 10L and landed without further incident, exiting the runway under their own power. All three occupants were unharmed. ## Crew Qualifications and Weather Conditions The pilot-in-command, a 55-year-old captain, held a valid Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) license and medical certificate issued by the INAC, with 16,300 total flight hours and 380 hours on type in the preceding year. The first officer, a 52-year-old, held a valid Commercial Pilot (CP) license and medical certificate, with 5,000 total flight hours and 380 hours on type in the preceding year. Both held instrument ratings. Weather conditions at the time were visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with unlimited visibility and a cloud ceiling of 12,000 feet. ## Post-Incident Inspection and Findings On November 6, a technical inspection was conducted by OMAC GRUPO CIMAUT, C.A., under work order number 169-23. An external visual inspection revealed oil leaks on the right side of the aircraft, including the right cowling inlet scoop, right fuselage, right landing gear door, and right wing flap. An internal inspection of the right turbine identified an oil leak from the drive shaft of the air conditioning compressor, with the probable cause being a damaged seal (item #210, section 72-20-00). Oil pressure and temperature sensors were found to be in satisfactory condition. The right engine's oil level was below the manufacturer's recommended level; four quarts were added, leaving it two quarts below the maximum cold level. The left engine's oil level was within parameters. A subsequent engine run-up test showed all operational parameters within normal limits, and a post-test inspection confirmed the oil leak at the air conditioning compressor drive shaft.