Air carrier light transport in-flight engine shutdown due loss of oil pressure quantity.

Attributes
ACN	82580
Time
Date	198802
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : zid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	82580
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2600
ASRS Report	82546
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

As the aircraft was climbing through 14500' MSL we got a triple chime and master warning. Looking at the left engine oil pressure gauge showed a low oil pressure of 20 psi. Crew examined all other engine indications were normal. Due to the extremely high rate of transducer failures on the light transport we honestly believed we were seeing an error in the oil pressure indicator thus no attempt was made to reduce engine power. 4 mins later the engine oil pressure dropped to 0, then we observed the engine oil temperature drop from 55 to 50 degrees C. Next came 10% torque fluctuations. Then the engine flamed out. All this happened from the first warning to flameout. In about 4 1/2 mins we then feathered the left engine, accomplished the emergency checklist and secured the engine. An emergency was declared and an uneventful landing was made at cmh. Contributing factors: aircraft high rate of false oil pressure warnings due to transducer failure & flight crews inability to distinguish actual oil pressure loss from that of a false warning. Suggested solution: install 2 separate transducers on the engine. 1 to send a signal to the oil pressure warning light on the warning panel and 1 to sent a signal to the oil pressure gauge. Supplemental information from acn 82546: there were less than 2 hours of flight time since the oil was checked full on the last flight. Engines are known for using or leaking oil! There was alot of oil in the exhaust pipe.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT INFLT ENGINE SHUTDOWN DUE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE QUANTITY.

Narrative: AS THE ACFT WAS CLBING THROUGH 14500' MSL WE GOT A TRIPLE CHIME AND MASTER WARNING. LOOKING AT THE LEFT ENG OIL PRESSURE GAUGE SHOWED A LOW OIL PRESSURE OF 20 PSI. CREW EXAMINED ALL OTHER ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. DUE TO THE EXTREMELY HIGH RATE OF TRANSDUCER FAILURES ON THE LTT WE HONESTLY BELIEVED WE WERE SEEING AN ERROR IN THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR THUS NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO REDUCE ENG PWR. 4 MINS LATER THE ENG OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO 0, THEN WE OBSERVED THE ENG OIL TEMP DROP FROM 55 TO 50 DEGS C. NEXT CAME 10% TORQUE FLUCTUATIONS. THEN THE ENG FLAMED OUT. ALL THIS HAPPENED FROM THE FIRST WARNING TO FLAMEOUT. IN ABOUT 4 1/2 MINS WE THEN FEATHERED THE LEFT ENG, ACCOMPLISHED THE EMER CHKLIST AND SECURED THE ENG. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE AT CMH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ACFT HIGH RATE OF FALSE OIL PRESSURE WARNINGS DUE TO TRANSDUCER FAILURE & FLT CREWS INABILITY TO DISTINGUISH ACTUAL OIL PRESSURE LOSS FROM THAT OF A FALSE WARNING. SUGGESTED SOLUTION: INSTALL 2 SEPARATE TRANSDUCERS ON THE ENG. 1 TO SEND A SIGNAL TO THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ON THE WARNING PANEL AND 1 TO SENT A SIGNAL TO THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 82546: THERE WERE LESS THAN 2 HRS OF FLT TIME SINCE THE OIL WAS CHKED FULL ON THE LAST FLT. ENGS ARE KNOWN FOR USING OR LEAKING OIL! THERE WAS ALOT OF OIL IN THE EXHAUST PIPE.

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.