LTT FLC HAS ENG OIL PRESSURE GAUGE INDICATE LOW ON TKOF THEN FLUCTUATE. ENG SHUT DOWN.

Date: 1996-02 · Aircraft: Light Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turboprop Eng · Phase: climb

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical

Synopsis

LTT FLC HAS ENG OIL PRESSURE GAUGE INDICATE LOW ON TKOF THEN FLUCTUATE. ENG SHUT DOWN.

Narrative

ON TKOF ROLL OUT OF MSY I NOTICED R ENG OIL PSI SEEMED A LITTLE LOW; APPROX 100 PSI; BUT WITHIN LIMITS. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR ENG INSTS AND AT ABOUT 4000 FT MSL THE R OIL PSI GAUGE BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE PLUS OR MINUS 10 PSI; AGAIN WITHIN LIMITS. AT THIS TIME THE CREW BEGAN DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ENG SHUTDOWN AND RETURN TO MSY. AT 9000 FT MSL THE OIL GAUGE DROPPED INTO THE YELLOW ARC AND PWR WAS REDUCED TO 2000 LBS TORQUE. A CALL WAS THEN MADE TO DEP CTL FOR A RETURN TO MSY. DURING DSCNT R OIL PSI GAUGE BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE BEYOND THE 10 PSI LIMIT AND RED LOW OIL PSI ANNUNCIATOR FLICKERED ON THEN OFF. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF AN INCREASE IN OIL TEMP OR ITT; HOWEVER; A PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED AS PER ENG FIRE OR FAILURE IN FLT CHKLIST. NO EMER WAS DECLARED AS AGREED UPON BY THE CREW; AND MSY WAS GIVEN FUEL LOAD AND SOULS ON BOARD. AT MSY ACFT MECH RPTED THAT OIL WAS 6-8 QUARTS LOW ON R ENG. THERE WERE; HOWEVER; NO SIGNS OF OIL LEAKS. THE OIL LOG WAS REVIEWED BY THE MECH AND MYSELF. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY ABNORMAL OIL BURNS OTHER THAN STANDARD OIL ENTRY LOGS. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE ACFT AND A MAINT RUN-UP AS WELL AS FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH MAINT; THE CREW WAS ASSURED OF ENG INTEGRITY. ACFT WAS THEN SIGNED OFF AS SAFE FOR FLT. ON THE SUBSEQUENT FLTS MSY-PNS-TLH-SAT THERE WERE ALSO NO SIGNS OF ANY OIL LEAKS DURING THE POST-FLT WALKAROUNDS; AND THE R ENG WAS RUNNING VERY WELL. UPON LNDG AT JAX I REBRIEFED THE NEXT CREW ON THE PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN AT MSY. ONCE AGAIN POST AND NEW CREW PREFLTS SHOWED NO SIGNS OF OIL LEAKS ON AIRFRAME OR GND AREA. PROB: CREW SHOULD HAVE DECLARED EMER. HOWEVER; ALL WAS WELL; GOOD TRAINING; CREW PREPARATION; GOOD WX AND COMS. RECOMMENDATION: ATC SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO DECLARE AN EMER FOR GND OPS ANYTIME AN ACFT IS ARRIVING WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE ENGS SECURED. THIS IS IN LIEU OF A CREW DECISION. ATC SHOULD ALSO NOTIFY THE CREW OF THIS ACTION.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.