Narrative:

The aircraft had a new engine. This was the 5TH flight. Total time en route approximately 5 hours. While returning from a short cross country flight, approximately 8 mi southeast of sgj at 5500 ft, oil was noticed on windshield. Further, oil was noticed streaming up cowling. A decision was made to continue to sgj and monitor oil pressure, temperature, etc, maintain as much altitude as possible and locate off airport landing areas if engine conditions dictated a shutdown was necessary. Radio switch panel was on the #2 communication for transmit. Radio #1 was used 8 mi out to request airport advisory for sgj. Unicom responded to 'aircraft calling' and gave the advisory. (The switch was not noticed until after landing and apparently the advisory was to another aircraft.) using radio #1 the entire time (the preferred radio in this aircraft) to advise traffic of our condition and make position reports, we set up for a straight-in runway 6. Active runway was runway 13. We were too high for runway 6 and swung around, right turns, for runway 13. Several position and condition reports were made. We landed from a turning downwind, base to final, right turns. A cessna 150 or 172 type was beginning to take the active runway 13 as we flew past and landed. At that time we could hear over the radio 'he's not talking to anybody' and some comment about the r-handed pattern we flew. I did not declare an emergency (no one would have heard it because of the switch placement), but was prepared to, if we last total oil pressure. I considered this a priority procedure situation. We landed uneventfully, had the engine looked at and they replaced a propeller seal. 6 quarts of oil was remaining in the engine after landing. I was a bit nervous during the event, attempted to use all of the resources available to me. I felt foolish for not realizing the switch panel was not set properly. This switch panel is 3 switches, non conventional and low on the dash. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the unconventional radio switching panel referred to by the reporter was installed in the aircraft before the partnership bought the plane. The #1 radio is the radio they usually use because the #2 radio has a problem with static. The #2 radio is scheduled for maintenance. The instructor pilot admits that they became so focused on the engine oil leak that both pilots missed the fact that they were attempting to communicate on the wrong radio. There is normally no tower at sgj unless a special operation is being conducted by an aircraft manufacturer based on the field. On this day only unicom was available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. ACFT ENG OIL LEAK. PLTS RETURN LAND. NMAC ON LNDG PROC. LNDG ON OCCUPIED RWY.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD A NEW ENG. THIS WAS THE 5TH FLT. TOTAL TIME ENRTE APPROX 5 HRS. WHILE RETURNING FROM A SHORT XCOUNTRY FLT, APPROX 8 MI SE OF SGJ AT 5500 FT, OIL WAS NOTICED ON WINDSHIELD. FURTHER, OIL WAS NOTICED STREAMING UP COWLING. A DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE TO SGJ AND MONITOR OIL PRESSURE, TEMP, ETC, MAINTAIN AS MUCH ALT AS POSSIBLE AND LOCATE OFF ARPT LNDG AREAS IF ENG CONDITIONS DICTATED A SHUTDOWN WAS NECESSARY. RADIO SWITCH PANEL WAS ON THE #2 COM FOR XMIT. RADIO #1 WAS USED 8 MI OUT TO REQUEST ARPT ADVISORY FOR SGJ. UNICOM RESPONDED TO 'ACFT CALLING' AND GAVE THE ADVISORY. (THE SWITCH WAS NOT NOTICED UNTIL AFTER LNDG AND APPARENTLY THE ADVISORY WAS TO ANOTHER ACFT.) USING RADIO #1 THE ENTIRE TIME (THE PREFERRED RADIO IN THIS ACFT) TO ADVISE TFC OF OUR CONDITION AND MAKE POS RPTS, WE SET UP FOR A STRAIGHT-IN RWY 6. ACTIVE RWY WAS RWY 13. WE WERE TOO HIGH FOR RWY 6 AND SWUNG AROUND, R TURNS, FOR RWY 13. SEVERAL POS AND CONDITION RPTS WERE MADE. WE LANDED FROM A TURNING DOWNWIND, BASE TO FINAL, R TURNS. A CESSNA 150 OR 172 TYPE WAS BEGINNING TO TAKE THE ACTIVE RWY 13 AS WE FLEW PAST AND LANDED. AT THAT TIME WE COULD HEAR OVER THE RADIO 'HE'S NOT TALKING TO ANYBODY' AND SOME COMMENT ABOUT THE R-HANDED PATTERN WE FLEW. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER (NO ONE WOULD HAVE HEARD IT BECAUSE OF THE SWITCH PLACEMENT), BUT WAS PREPARED TO, IF WE LAST TOTAL OIL PRESSURE. I CONSIDERED THIS A PRIORITY PROC SIT. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY, HAD THE ENG LOOKED AT AND THEY REPLACED A PROP SEAL. 6 QUARTS OF OIL WAS REMAINING IN THE ENG AFTER LNDG. I WAS A BIT NERVOUS DURING THE EVENT, ATTEMPTED TO USE ALL OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ME. I FELT FOOLISH FOR NOT REALIZING THE SWITCH PANEL WAS NOT SET PROPERLY. THIS SWITCH PANEL IS 3 SWITCHES, NON CONVENTIONAL AND LOW ON THE DASH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE UNCONVENTIONAL RADIO SWITCHING PANEL REFERRED TO BY THE RPTR WAS INSTALLED IN THE ACFT BEFORE THE PARTNERSHIP BOUGHT THE PLANE. THE #1 RADIO IS THE RADIO THEY USUALLY USE BECAUSE THE #2 RADIO HAS A PROB WITH STATIC. THE #2 RADIO IS SCHEDULED FOR MAINT. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT ADMITS THAT THEY BECAME SO FOCUSED ON THE ENG OIL LEAK THAT BOTH PLTS MISSED THE FACT THAT THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO COMMUNICATE ON THE WRONG RADIO. THERE IS NORMALLY NO TWR AT SGJ UNLESS A SPECIAL OP IS BEING CONDUCTED BY AN ACFT MANUFACTURER BASED ON THE FIELD. ON THIS DAY ONLY UNICOM WAS AVAILABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.