A B727 CARGO HORSE CARRIER PIC CONTINUES ON PAST THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT AT DAL TO DEST ARPT; SHV; AFTER HAVING LOST 1 OF 3 ENGS TO AN OIL INDICATION PROB 45 MI E OF LBB; TX.

Narrative

AT FL330; ZFW DIRECTED ME TO 'GO DIRECT III VOR.' AS I TURNED THE ACFT; I NOTICED THE #3 ENG (727 ACFT) LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT FLICKERING. I ASKED THE FLT ENGINEER TO LOOK AT THE ENG GAUGES ON HIS PANEL. HE SAID QUANTITY WAS GOING DOWN; AND PRESSURE DECREASING SLIGHTLY. I ASKED FOR THE CHKLIST TO BE RUN; AND ALL CREW MEMBERS WERE IN AGREEMENT TO SHUT THE ENG DOWN. I ADVISED ATC WE WERE WORKING ON A PROB; AND REQUESTED FL250. I GAVE CTL OF THE PLANE TO THE FO; WHILE I WORKED WITH THE F/E ON SECURING THE ENG. WE DID SHUTDOWN (PRECAUTIONARY) #3 AND RAN ALL ASSOCIATED CHKLISTS. THE PLANE WAS FLYING WITH NO DIFFICULTY; AND WE MAINTAINED A SPD OF MACH .76 (GND SPD WAS 440 KTS). I ESTABLISHED A PHONE PATCH WITH OPS; AND EXPLAINED WITH 14 THOROUGHBRED RACE HORSES ONBOARD; THERE WERE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF ARPTS WITH HORSE RAMPS TO GET THE HORSES OFF. LOVE FIELD WAS THE CLOSEST; WITH OUR DEST OF SHREVEPORT A SHORT DISTANCE AFTER DALLAS. THE ACFT WAS FLYING VERY WELL -- AT NO TIME WAS THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT AND ALL ONBOARD EVER JEOPARDIZED. OPS AGREED WITH ME -- AS LONG AS NO FURTHER PROBS OCCURRED; CONTINUE WITH OUR PLAN. AS WE NEARED DALLAS; THE CREW DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO SHREVEPORT; WHERE WE LANDED WITH NO INCIDENT. AS I WAS CARRYING 'LIVE' CARGO; DALLAS WAS THE CLOSEST 'SUITABLE' ARPT WITH A HORSE RAMP. I REALIZE THIS; BUT WITH NO FURTHER PROBS; AND WITH THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE MY TOP PRIORITY; I FELT CONTINUING ON IN THIS PARTICULAR SIT WAS THE BEST PLAN.