Narrative:

During cruise the oil pressure on the #1 engine dropped to 50 psi, at which time we pwred back to flight idle on that engine per the checklist. Dispatch directed us to continue on to mco. We were concerned with the fog at mco and questioned dispatch several times about going to mco. When we took off from fort lauderdale the WX was VFR. By the time we got to mco the visibility dropped below our landing minimums and fort lauderdale was also fogging in to minimums. Vero beach and melbourne were both fogged in and pbi was reporting 1 1/2 mi visibility and low broken ceiling, so we elected to fly to pbi. Fort pierce was reporting VFR but we picked pbi because of their ILS and also not knowing if fort pierce would go down real fast because of the continuing change in the fog. 20 mins out, the oil pressure started to drop below 40 psi periodically, so we elected to shut the engine down so as not to do any damage to that engine. We informed ATC of the engine shut down and to have the emergency equipment standing by. No emergency was declared because both sits, low oil pressure and precautionary engine shutdown are located in the abnormal section and not the emergency section of our flight standards manual. The aircraft was flying very well, we had plenty of fuel and every request asked to ATC was received. We landed at pbi without incident. The reason for the low oil pressure was a loose fitting on top of the engine. Maintenance fixed the problem within 1 hour, put 5 quarts of oil back into the engine, and then we were able to fly that aircraft back to mco.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN EMBRAER BRASILIA EMB120 (E120) DIVERTED TO LAND AFTER SHUTTING DOWN THE #1 ENG DUE TO LOW OIL PRESSURE. EMER GND EQUIP STANDING BY. MAINT FOUND LOOSE ENG HOSE FITTING THAT CAUSED LOSS OF OIL.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE THE OIL PRESSURE ON THE #1 ENG DROPPED TO 50 PSI, AT WHICH TIME WE PWRED BACK TO FLT IDLE ON THAT ENG PER THE CHKLIST. DISPATCH DIRECTED US TO CONTINUE ON TO MCO. WE WERE CONCERNED WITH THE FOG AT MCO AND QUESTIONED DISPATCH SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT GOING TO MCO. WHEN WE TOOK OFF FROM FORT LAUDERDALE THE WX WAS VFR. BY THE TIME WE GOT TO MCO THE VISIBILITY DROPPED BELOW OUR LNDG MINIMUMS AND FORT LAUDERDALE WAS ALSO FOGGING IN TO MINIMUMS. VERO BEACH AND MELBOURNE WERE BOTH FOGGED IN AND PBI WAS RPTING 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY AND LOW BROKEN CEILING, SO WE ELECTED TO FLY TO PBI. FORT PIERCE WAS RPTING VFR BUT WE PICKED PBI BECAUSE OF THEIR ILS AND ALSO NOT KNOWING IF FORT PIERCE WOULD GO DOWN REAL FAST BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUING CHANGE IN THE FOG. 20 MINS OUT, THE OIL PRESSURE STARTED TO DROP BELOW 40 PSI PERIODICALLY, SO WE ELECTED TO SHUT THE ENG DOWN SO AS NOT TO DO ANY DAMAGE TO THAT ENG. WE INFORMED ATC OF THE ENG SHUT DOWN AND TO HAVE THE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY. NO EMER WAS DECLARED BECAUSE BOTH SITS, LOW OIL PRESSURE AND PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN ARE LOCATED IN THE ABNORMAL SECTION AND NOT THE EMER SECTION OF OUR FLT STANDARDS MANUAL. THE ACFT WAS FLYING VERY WELL, WE HAD PLENTY OF FUEL AND EVERY REQUEST ASKED TO ATC WAS RECEIVED. WE LANDED AT PBI WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE REASON FOR THE LOW OIL PRESSURE WAS A LOOSE FITTING ON TOP OF THE ENG. MAINT FIXED THE PROB WITHIN 1 HR, PUT 5 QUARTS OF OIL BACK INTO THE ENG, AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO FLY THAT ACFT BACK TO MCO.

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.