A C414'S ENG DEVELOPED A HOLE IN AN ENG CASING ON A POST MAINT REPOSITIONING FLT. OIL PRESSURE LOSS CAUSED THE PILOT TO DECLARE AN EMER AND LAND SINGLE ENG.

Narrative

THIS WAS A POST-MAINT REPOSITIONING FLT FOLLOWING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE PLANNED FLT WAS 20 MINS IN LENGTH AND CONDUCTED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS. APPROX 10 MI AWAY FROM THE DEST ARPT; IFR SVCS WERE TERMINATED BY THE PLT AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY ATC. THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR ON THE L ENG STARTED TO SHOW A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. AS THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED OUT OF THE GREEN ARC AND INTO THE BLACK; THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SECURE THE L ENG. AS THE L ENG WAS SHUT DOWN; THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO. I SELF-ANNOUNCED ON THE UNICOM FREQ THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE AND REQUESTED ALL ACFT USING ZZZ TO AVOID THE AREA. THE UNICOM OPERATOR STATED THERE WERE NO ACFT IN THE PATTERN. I COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND MADE A NORMAL SINGLE-ENG LNDG. UPON SECURING THE ACFT; A HOLE WAS DISCOVERED IN THE L ENG CASE. THE OIL DIPSTICK INDICATED 10+ QUARTS OF OIL (12 QT CAPACITY). THE ACFT WAS PLACED IN A HANGAR AWAITING ENG TEAR-DOWN AND INSPECTION. CHAIN OF EVENTS: 1) POST MAINT FLT; 2) ANOMALY IN OIL PRESSURE INDICATION; 3) DECISION TO SECURE ENG; 4) NORMAL LNDG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: POST MAINT FLT (HEIGHTENED AWARENESS; INCREASED VIGILANCE); PLT EXPERIENCE LEVEL; REALISTIC TRAINING.