Narrative:

En route okc-sdl per route above approximately 10 min west of clovis (gndspd 170 KTS in a high headwind), #2 engine oil pressure began fluctuating. After 2 mins, observation showed a lowering pressure trend. Began a precautionary diversion to row airport, immediately notifying ZAB of our intentions. As pressure continued to drop, executed a precautionary shutdown of #2 engine, again notifying ZAB and stating our intention of proceeding to row. ZAB was helpful and professional, notifying row approach of our problem prior to handing us off. Row approach advised us of airline widebody transport traffic training in the vicinity of row and told us to call the tower at 10 DME. After contact the tower's major interest seemed to be keeping us separated from the heavy widebody transport who was doing some sort of circling approach to the longest 13000 ft runway (we had been assigned 10000 ft long runway 17). I asked the controller about runway conditions, was told condition of 17 (plowed, some ice patches) was not given details of longer runway condition. Controller continued to point out widebody transport traffic. In order to get rid of distraction, I declared an emergency and asked the controller to move his traffic to end the distraction. (This took 2 transmissions to get an acknowledgement) the controller replied that the traffic would not be a factor. Throughout landing and rollout and attempts to clear the runway by means of single engine taxiing amidst patches of ice and snow the controller was unhelpful. A professional controller would have cleared out his traffic advised us of the lengths and conditions of both runways and their exit taxiways and, furthermore, cleared us 'to land on any runway.' row tower seemed more concerned with not inconveniencing the air carrier's training routine than with our distress, than our emergency situation. We were 1 pilot, 2 passenger, about 60 percent fuel load, thus able to maneuver or execute a single-engine go around as needed, but this is for the pilot, not the tower controller to decide. This tower operator needs retraining in priorities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER SMT TFC NOT GIVEN PRIORITY HANDLING BY TWR CTLR IN APCH LNDG PROC.

Narrative: ENRTE OKC-SDL PER RTE ABOVE APPROX 10 MIN W OF CLOVIS (GNDSPD 170 KTS IN A HIGH HEADWIND), #2 ENG OIL PRESSURE BEGAN FLUCTUATING. AFTER 2 MINS, OBSERVATION SHOWED A LOWERING PRESSURE TREND. BEGAN A PRECAUTIONARY DIVERSION TO ROW ARPT, IMMEDIATELY NOTIFYING ZAB OF OUR INTENTIONS. AS PRESSURE CONTINUED TO DROP, EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF #2 ENG, AGAIN NOTIFYING ZAB AND STATING OUR INTENTION OF PROCEEDING TO ROW. ZAB WAS HELPFUL AND PROFESSIONAL, NOTIFYING ROW APCH OF OUR PROBLEM PRIOR TO HANDING US OFF. ROW APCH ADVISED US OF AIRLINE WDB TFC TRAINING IN THE VICINITY OF ROW AND TOLD US TO CALL THE TWR AT 10 DME. AFTER CONTACT THE TWR'S MAJOR INTEREST SEEMED TO BE KEEPING US SEPARATED FROM THE HVY WDB WHO WAS DOING SOME SORT OF CIRCLING APCH TO THE LONGEST 13000 FT RWY (WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 10000 FT LONG RWY 17). I ASKED THE CTLR ABOUT RWY CONDITIONS, WAS TOLD CONDITION OF 17 (PLOWED, SOME ICE PATCHES) WAS NOT GIVEN DETAILS OF LONGER RWY CONDITION. CTLR CONTINUED TO POINT OUT WDB TFC. IN ORDER TO GET RID OF DISTR, I DECLARED AN EMER AND ASKED THE CTLR TO MOVE HIS TFC TO END THE DISTR. (THIS TOOK 2 TRANSMISSIONS TO GET AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT) THE CTLR REPLIED THAT THE TFC WOULD NOT BE A FACTOR. THROUGHOUT LNDG AND ROLLOUT AND ATTEMPTS TO CLR THE RWY BY MEANS OF SINGLE ENG TAXIING AMIDST PATCHES OF ICE AND SNOW THE CTLR WAS UNHELPFUL. A PROFESSIONAL CTLR WOULD HAVE CLRED OUT HIS TFC ADVISED US OF THE LENGTHS AND CONDITIONS OF BOTH RWYS AND THEIR EXIT TAXIWAYS AND, FURTHERMORE, CLRED US 'TO LAND ON ANY RWY.' ROW TWR SEEMED MORE CONCERNED WITH NOT INCONVENIENCING THE ACR'S TRAINING ROUTINE THAN WITH OUR DISTRESS, THAN OUR EMER SITUATION. WE WERE 1 PLT, 2 PAX, ABOUT 60 PERCENT FUEL LOAD, THUS ABLE TO MANEUVER OR EXECUTE A SINGLE-ENG GAR AS NEEDED, BUT THIS IS FOR THE PLT, NOT THE TWR CTLR TO DECIDE. THIS TWR OPERATOR NEEDS RETRAINING IN PRIORITIES.

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.