Narrative:

In august, approximately 160 DME east of jacksonville VOR at cruise altitude of 41,000' en route from ft lauderdale executing to teterboro, ny, I noticed that the left engine oil pressure gauge was starting to fluctuate and decrease in pressure. I brought this to the attention of the copilot, who brought out th engine shutdown emergency checklist and also set in the jacksonville VOR frequency in the #2 VOR and obtained our bearing and distance from jacksonville. It was decided that if it was confirmed to be a loss of oil pressure that we would divert to jacksonville int'l (jax). The autoplt started a rapid climb out of FL410. I disengaged the autoplt and arrested the ascent at 41,300'. The oil pressure on the left engine decreased to zero and was confirmed by the oil pressure light. We did a precautionary in-flight shutdown of the left engine via the approved checklist and advised jacksonville center of our situation. We requested a descent and to proceed to jacksonville VOR for a landing T jacksonville int'l. We accomplished the descent checklist and advised the passenger of our situation and that we were diverting to jacksonville int'l. Jacksonville center asked if we were declaring an emergency. I advised them that we weren't but I was requesting that the emergency equipment 'stand by' at jacksonville int'l. ZJX handed us off the a military sector controller for vectors through his airspace. He gave us a crossing restriction which we were unable to make. We advised the controller of this and he handed us off to jacksonville approach who in turn vectored us for a 10 mi final for runway 7 at jacksonville int'l. We proceeded to complete the before landing checklist (single engine approach) and accomplished an uneventful single engine landing at jacksonville. Ground control queried us if we still needed the 'equipment' to which we said 'negative'. We then proceeded to the FBO on the right engine. Company dispatched another aircraft to continue with our passenger and also sent our director of maintenance to investigate the problem. It was discovered that an o-ring in a breather valve on the left engine was bad and caused the left engine to vent its oil overboard at altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER LTT LOST ENGINE OIL PRESSURE QUANTITY AT FL410. INFLT ENGINE SHUTDOWN DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: IN AUGUST, APPROX 160 DME E OF JACKSONVILLE VOR AT CRUISE ALT OF 41,000' ENRTE FROM FT LAUDERDALE EXECUTING TO TETERBORO, NY, I NOTICED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS STARTING TO FLUCTUATE AND DECREASE IN PRESSURE. I BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF THE COPLT, WHO BROUGHT OUT TH ENGINE SHUTDOWN EMER CHECKLIST AND ALSO SET IN THE JACKSONVILLE VOR FREQ IN THE #2 VOR AND OBTAINED OUR BEARING AND DISTANCE FROM JACKSONVILLE. IT WAS DECIDED THAT IF IT WAS CONFIRMED TO BE A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE THAT WE WOULD DIVERT TO JACKSONVILLE INT'L (JAX). THE AUTOPLT STARTED A RAPID CLIMB OUT OF FL410. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND ARRESTED THE ASCENT AT 41,300'. THE OIL PRESSURE ON THE LEFT ENGINE DECREASED TO ZERO AND WAS CONFIRMED BY THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT. WE DID A PRECAUTIONARY INFLT SHUTDOWN OF THE LEFT ENGINE VIA THE APPROVED CHECKLIST AND ADVISED JACKSONVILLE CENTER OF OUR SITUATION. WE REQUESTED A DSCNT AND TO PROCEED TO JACKSONVILLE VOR FOR A LNDG T JACKSONVILLE INT'L. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE DSCNT CHECKLIST AND ADVISED THE PAX OF OUR SITUATION AND THAT WE WERE DIVERTING TO JACKSONVILLE INT'L. JACKSONVILLE CENTER ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER. I ADVISED THEM THAT WE WEREN'T BUT I WAS REQUESTING THAT THE EMER EQUIPMENT 'STAND BY' AT JACKSONVILLE INT'L. ZJX HANDED US OFF THE A MIL SECTOR CTLR FOR VECTORS THROUGH HIS AIRSPACE. HE GAVE US A XING RESTRICTION WHICH WE WERE UNABLE TO MAKE. WE ADVISED THE CTLR OF THIS AND HE HANDED US OFF TO JACKSONVILLE APCH WHO IN TURN VECTORED US FOR A 10 MI FINAL FOR RWY 7 AT JACKSONVILLE INT'L. WE PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE THE BEFORE LNDG CHECKLIST (SINGLE ENGINE APCH) AND ACCOMPLISHED AN UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENGINE LNDG AT JACKSONVILLE. GND CTL QUERIED US IF WE STILL NEEDED THE 'EQUIPMENT' TO WHICH WE SAID 'NEGATIVE'. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO THE FBO ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. COMPANY DISPATCHED ANOTHER ACFT TO CONTINUE WITH OUR PAX AND ALSO SENT OUR DIRECTOR OF MAINT TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT AN O-RING IN A BREATHER VALVE ON THE LEFT ENGINE WAS BAD AND CAUSED THE LEFT ENGINE TO VENT ITS OIL OVERBOARD AT ALT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.