Narrative:

While climbing through FL230 heading northeast approximately 75 NM northeast las, right oil pressure low annunciator illuminated associated with a master caution light. First officer was PF and retained control of the aircraft while the captain analyzed the problem. Right engine oil qty was 17 quarts on previous flight and during initial climb. Oil qty now at 16 qts. Right oil temperature generally 15 degrees cooler than left oil temperature on previous flight. Right oil temperature remained normal. Right oil pressure now at 35 psi. Advised ZLA and leveled at FL250. Reduced right engine power to flight idle. Utilized oil pressure low QRH checklist. Right oil pressure stabilized at 32 psi. Oil qty very slowly dropping. With reduction in right engine fuel flow, right oil temperature initially rose to 120 degrees, but reduced and stabilized at 80 degrees as expected. Requested vector to las runway 25L. Runway selection based on wider runway in consideration of crosswind component. Advised #1 flight attendant of problem and that we were diverting to las. Estimated time to land at approximately 15 mins. Elected to keep right engine operating at flight idle due to high landing weight and high density altitude. Discussed parameters for shutting down engine should oil qty drop significantly or oil temperature increase and continued to monitor engine indications for duration of flight. Made cabin PA announcement advising passenger of problem and decision to return to las. Contacted dispatch via commercial radio. Communications were broken due to frequency coverage in area and aircraft altitude. Advised dispatch of problem and decision to return to las. Dispatch advised that the computer was unable to generate numbers from our position due to projected overweight landing. Advised dispatch that I was exercising captain's authority/authorized in not continuing with the release amendment process due to workload as we were entering into las approach airspace approximately 40 NM from las. Advised dispatch of fuel onboard and las ETA. Transitioned control of aircraft to captain for landing at approximately 35 NM from las. Reviewed single engine landing procedures since right engine was operated at flight idle. Discussed potential for partial use of right engine power should a go around be necessary. Normal visual landing las runway 25L utilizing ILS guidance flaps 28 degrees. Exited runway and shutdown right engine. Oil qty now at 6 quarts. Landing weight was 131000 pounds (3000 pounds over mglw). Smooth landing noted with descent rate less than 360 FPM (6FPS). Oil noted on right engine nacelle during postflt inspection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD81 FLTCREW HAS LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATION ON R ENG AND ELECTS TO DIVERT TO LAS.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING THROUGH FL230 HEADING NE APPROX 75 NM NE LAS, R OIL PRESSURE LOW ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED ASSOCIATED WITH A MASTER CAUTION LIGHT. FO WAS PF AND RETAINED CTL OF THE ACFT WHILE THE CAPT ANALYZED THE PROB. R ENG OIL QTY WAS 17 QUARTS ON PREVIOUS FLT AND DURING INITIAL CLB. OIL QTY NOW AT 16 QTS. R OIL TEMP GENERALLY 15 DEGS COOLER THAN L OIL TEMP ON PREVIOUS FLT. R OIL TEMP REMAINED NORMAL. R OIL PRESSURE NOW AT 35 PSI. ADVISED ZLA AND LEVELED AT FL250. REDUCED R ENG PWR TO FLT IDLE. UTILIZED OIL PRESSURE LOW QRH CHKLIST. R OIL PRESSURE STABILIZED AT 32 PSI. OIL QTY VERY SLOWLY DROPPING. WITH REDUCTION IN R ENG FUEL FLOW, R OIL TEMP INITIALLY ROSE TO 120 DEGS, BUT REDUCED AND STABILIZED AT 80 DEGS AS EXPECTED. REQUESTED VECTOR TO LAS RWY 25L. RWY SELECTION BASED ON WIDER RWY IN CONSIDERATION OF XWIND COMPONENT. ADVISED #1 FLT ATTENDANT OF PROB AND THAT WE WERE DIVERTING TO LAS. ESTIMATED TIME TO LAND AT APPROX 15 MINS. ELECTED TO KEEP R ENG OPERATING AT FLT IDLE DUE TO HIGH LNDG WT AND HIGH DENSITY ALT. DISCUSSED PARAMETERS FOR SHUTTING DOWN ENG SHOULD OIL QTY DROP SIGNIFICANTLY OR OIL TEMP INCREASE AND CONTINUED TO MONITOR ENG INDICATIONS FOR DURATION OF FLT. MADE CABIN PA ANNOUNCEMENT ADVISING PAX OF PROB AND DECISION TO RETURN TO LAS. CONTACTED DISPATCH VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO. COMS WERE BROKEN DUE TO FREQ COVERAGE IN AREA AND ACFT ALT. ADVISED DISPATCH OF PROB AND DECISION TO RETURN TO LAS. DISPATCH ADVISED THAT THE COMPUTER WAS UNABLE TO GENERATE NUMBERS FROM OUR POS DUE TO PROJECTED OVERWT LNDG. ADVISED DISPATCH THAT I WAS EXERCISING CAPT'S AUTH IN NOT CONTINUING WITH THE RELEASE AMENDMENT PROCESS DUE TO WORKLOAD AS WE WERE ENTERING INTO LAS APCH AIRSPACE APPROX 40 NM FROM LAS. ADVISED DISPATCH OF FUEL ONBOARD AND LAS ETA. TRANSITIONED CTL OF ACFT TO CAPT FOR LNDG AT APPROX 35 NM FROM LAS. REVIEWED SINGLE ENG LNDG PROCS SINCE R ENG WAS OPERATED AT FLT IDLE. DISCUSSED POTENTIAL FOR PARTIAL USE OF R ENG PWR SHOULD A GAR BE NECESSARY. NORMAL VISUAL LNDG LAS RWY 25L UTILIZING ILS GUIDANCE FLAPS 28 DEGS. EXITED RWY AND SHUTDOWN R ENG. OIL QTY NOW AT 6 QUARTS. LNDG WT WAS 131000 LBS (3000 LBS OVER MGLW). SMOOTH LNDG NOTED WITH DSCNT RATE LESS THAN 360 FPM (6FPS). OIL NOTED ON R ENG NACELLE DURING POSTFLT INSPECTION.

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.