 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Small aircraft with oil pressure problems requested vector to nearest airport. Military controller vectored him to airport 10 NM away when reporter says there was a closer one.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 85625 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198804 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : byh |
| State Reference | AR |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : byh |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 650 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 85625 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : military |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
The preflight showed 5 3/4 qts of oil. Thirty mins into the flight, the oil pressure dropped from 60 pounds (bottom of the green arc) to just above the red line. I had been closely monitoring oil temperature, pressure, and level, as I had just had the oil changed and it had been using a lot of oil and indicated low oil pressure (was running 60 pounds, had been 90-100 pounds). I was returning the plane to have the mechanic who changed the oil and filter to find the problem. When the pressure dropped I reduced RPM and asked blytheville AFB for vectors to the nearest airport. They sent me to osceola (10 mi away) because they reported manila to be closed (manila airport was not closed). I made an uneventful landing at osceola. Two problems exist here. First, why did blytheville AFB report manila closed when it was not? Second, why did I, the one who would have paid the price had the engine quit, accept vectors to osceola when manila was within gliding distance? I gave up the position of PIC to the controllers.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA WITH OIL PRESSURE PROBLEMS REQUESTED VECTOR TO NEAREST ARPT. MIL CTLR VECTORED HIM TO ARPT 10 NM AWAY WHEN REPORTER SAYS THERE WAS A CLOSER ONE.
Narrative: THE PREFLT SHOWED 5 3/4 QTS OF OIL. THIRTY MINS INTO THE FLT, THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED FROM 60 LBS (BOTTOM OF THE GREEN ARC) TO JUST ABOVE THE RED LINE. I HAD BEEN CLOSELY MONITORING OIL TEMP, PRESSURE, AND LEVEL, AS I HAD JUST HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND IT HAD BEEN USING A LOT OF OIL AND INDICATED LOW OIL PRESSURE (WAS RUNNING 60 LBS, HAD BEEN 90-100 LBS). I WAS RETURNING THE PLANE TO HAVE THE MECH WHO CHANGED THE OIL AND FILTER TO FIND THE PROB. WHEN THE PRESSURE DROPPED I REDUCED RPM AND ASKED BLYTHEVILLE AFB FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT. THEY SENT ME TO OSCEOLA (10 MI AWAY) BECAUSE THEY RPTED MANILA TO BE CLOSED (MANILA ARPT WAS NOT CLOSED). I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT OSCEOLA. TWO PROBS EXIST HERE. FIRST, WHY DID BLYTHEVILLE AFB RPT MANILA CLOSED WHEN IT WAS NOT? SECOND, WHY DID I, THE ONE WHO WOULD HAVE PAID THE PRICE HAD THE ENG QUIT, ACCEPT VECTORS TO OSCEOLA WHEN MANILA WAS WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE? I GAVE UP THE POS OF PIC TO THE CTLRS.
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.