Narrative:

Normal start, taxi to atl, first officer flying. Approximately 2 mins after takeoff, master caution light illuminated for a right engine oil pressure low light. Observed right engine oil pressure gauge indicating 25-20 psi decreasing. At 3000 ft MSL, climbing, slats extended, climb power. Requested leveloff at 3000 ft MSL and informed ATC needed a return to atl runway 27R with a short delay vector for checklists. While retrieving engine oil pressure low checklist, observed oil pressure gauge decreasing pressure approximately 1 psi per second. Pressure continued to decrease to zero. Decided to complete engine shutdown checklist. Had retarded right throttle to idle at first confirmation of low oil pressure. At that point, atl approach instructed us to climb to 4000 ft MSL and turn left from 180 degrees to 200 degrees. In turn, engine gave indications of failure, pack trip, right generator off light, and decreasing RPM. Oil temperature was reported normal by first officer. Observed oil quantity at top limit of gauge, which I suspected to be incorrect, as this was higher than before engine start. Performed engine fire/severe damage checklist, but did not fire the fire extinguishers due to no fire indications. Completed single engine land and landing checklists and made uneventful single engine landing runway 27R atl. After taxiing clear of runway onto taxiway M, fire captain inspected right engine finding no evidence of fire or external damage, but reported a quantity of fluid on taxiway below right engine, but no fluid leaking at that time. It had taken the fire crew approximately 3 mins to reach aircraft after we stopped on taxiway M. Taxied to gate and performed normal shutdown checklist but forgot to pull cvr circuit breaker. Total airborne time 12 mins. Supplemental information from acn 563568: approaching 3000 ft, we got a master caution light and a right oil pressure low light. The captain immediately pulled the right throttle back and informed departure control that we were returning to the field and needed a short vector. The controller asked if we were declaring emergency and the captain replied yes. We were then assigned 180N degree heading and to climb to 4000 ft. At this point, the captain took the time to very briefly inform the flight attendant.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, DURING INITIAL CLB FROM ATL, EXPERIENCED LOW OIL PRESSURE ON THEIR R ENG, SPAWNING A RETURN TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: NORMAL START, TAXI TO ATL, FO FLYING. APPROX 2 MINS AFTER TKOF, MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR A R ENG OIL PRESSURE LOW LIGHT. OBSERVED R ENG OIL PRESSURE GAUGE INDICATING 25-20 PSI DECREASING. AT 3000 FT MSL, CLBING, SLATS EXTENDED, CLB PWR. REQUESTED LEVELOFF AT 3000 FT MSL AND INFORMED ATC NEEDED A RETURN TO ATL RWY 27R WITH A SHORT DELAY VECTOR FOR CHKLISTS. WHILE RETRIEVING ENG OIL PRESSURE LOW CHKLIST, OBSERVED OIL PRESSURE GAUGE DECREASING PRESSURE APPROX 1 PSI PER SECOND. PRESSURE CONTINUED TO DECREASE TO ZERO. DECIDED TO COMPLETE ENG SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. HAD RETARDED R THROTTLE TO IDLE AT FIRST CONFIRMATION OF LOW OIL PRESSURE. AT THAT POINT, ATL APCH INSTRUCTED US TO CLB TO 4000 FT MSL AND TURN L FROM 180 DEGS TO 200 DEGS. IN TURN, ENG GAVE INDICATIONS OF FAILURE, PACK TRIP, R GENERATOR OFF LIGHT, AND DECREASING RPM. OIL TEMP WAS RPTED NORMAL BY FO. OBSERVED OIL QUANTITY AT TOP LIMIT OF GAUGE, WHICH I SUSPECTED TO BE INCORRECT, AS THIS WAS HIGHER THAN BEFORE ENG START. PERFORMED ENG FIRE/SEVERE DAMAGE CHKLIST, BUT DID NOT FIRE THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS DUE TO NO FIRE INDICATIONS. COMPLETED SINGLE ENG LAND AND LNDG CHKLISTS AND MADE UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENG LNDG RWY 27R ATL. AFTER TAXIING CLR OF RWY ONTO TXWY M, FIRE CAPT INSPECTED R ENG FINDING NO EVIDENCE OF FIRE OR EXTERNAL DAMAGE, BUT RPTED A QUANTITY OF FLUID ON TXWY BELOW R ENG, BUT NO FLUID LEAKING AT THAT TIME. IT HAD TAKEN THE FIRE CREW APPROX 3 MINS TO REACH ACFT AFTER WE STOPPED ON TXWY M. TAXIED TO GATE AND PERFORMED NORMAL SHUTDOWN CHKLIST BUT FORGOT TO PULL CVR CIRCUIT BREAKER. TOTAL AIRBORNE TIME 12 MINS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 563568: APCHING 3000 FT, WE GOT A MASTER CAUTION LIGHT AND A R OIL PRESSURE LOW LIGHT. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE R THROTTLE BACK AND INFORMED DEP CTL THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO THE FIELD AND NEEDED A SHORT VECTOR. THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE DECLARING EMER AND THE CAPT REPLIED YES. WE WERE THEN ASSIGNED 180N DEG HDG AND TO CLB TO 4000 FT. AT THIS POINT, THE CAPT TOOK THE TIME TO VERY BRIEFLY INFORM THE FLT ATTENDANT.

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.