Narrative:

In cruise flight on the red eye flight sea-dtw, first officer noticed oil quantity had dropped to 0. I had looked at the oil quantity just a minute before and it had been normal. We also observed the oil pressure to be erratic. We decided to perform a precautionary engine shutdown and plan a landing at gtf. I declared an emergency to receive priority handling to protect myself from violations in event of busting any clrncs due to high cockpit workload and distraction. When descending through 20000' I noticed the oil quantity was 22 qts, normal for a shut down engine. At that point I was sure that engine had oil and restarted it. The engine ran well and all indications were normal as we stayed in the gfk area for about 10 mins for observation of the engine's performance. Knowing that we had experienced some kind of transient situation with the oil system, but now sure that the engine did in fact have a normal supply of oil, we cancelled the emergency and continued for our destination, having selected a # of auxiliary airports in close proximity along our route should a landing again appear necessary. We continued to our destination with no further problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FALSE LOW OIL QUANTITY INDICATION LEADS FLT CREW TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND START DESCENT FOR AN ALTERNATE ARPT. TRUE OIL QUANTITY INDICATION REGAINED DURING DESCENT AND EMERGENCY WAS CANCELLED AND ACFT CONTINUED TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: IN CRUISE FLT ON THE RED EYE FLT SEA-DTW, F/O NOTICED OIL QUANTITY HAD DROPPED TO 0. I HAD LOOKED AT THE OIL QUANTITY JUST A MINUTE BEFORE AND IT HAD BEEN NORMAL. WE ALSO OBSERVED THE OIL PRESSURE TO BE ERRATIC. WE DECIDED TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN AND PLAN A LNDG AT GTF. I DECLARED AN EMER TO RECEIVE PRIORITY HANDLING TO PROTECT MYSELF FROM VIOLATIONS IN EVENT OF BUSTING ANY CLRNCS DUE TO HIGH COCKPIT WORKLOAD AND DISTR. WHEN DSNDING THROUGH 20000' I NOTICED THE OIL QUANTITY WAS 22 QTS, NORMAL FOR A SHUT DOWN ENG. AT THAT POINT I WAS SURE THAT ENG HAD OIL AND RESTARTED IT. THE ENG RAN WELL AND ALL INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL AS WE STAYED IN THE GFK AREA FOR ABOUT 10 MINS FOR OBSERVATION OF THE ENG'S PERFORMANCE. KNOWING THAT WE HAD EXPERIENCED SOME KIND OF TRANSIENT SITUATION WITH THE OIL SYS, BUT NOW SURE THAT THE ENG DID IN FACT HAVE A NORMAL SUPPLY OF OIL, WE CANCELLED THE EMER AND CONTINUED FOR OUR DEST, HAVING SELECTED A # OF AUX ARPTS IN CLOSE PROX ALONG OUR RTE SHOULD A LNDG AGAIN APPEAR NECESSARY. WE CONTINUED TO OUR DEST WITH NO FURTHER PROBS.

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.