Narrative:

The bae jetstream 41's left engine would not start in birmingham, al. Maintenance changed the starter/generator and we departed bhm at XA13 CST, for stl. Approximately 90 NM northwest of vulcan VOR our left oil pressure indicator began to fluctuate and in about 5 mins later the low oil pressure light came on. We executed the precautionary engine shutdown per the checklist and declared an emergency with ZME. The discussion now centered on where the closest suitable alternate was. After I had suggested returning to bhm the PIC stated he did not want to shoot a single engine IFR approach. Cape girardeau had strong xwinds and snow and ice on the runway and was deemed by the PIC as not suitable. Stl WX was clear with winds down the runway at 10 KTS and good braking action. The PIC's decision was to continue on to our destination (stl) because of the favorable WX and runway conditions. With prevailing headwinds the flight at 12000 ft MSL to stl took approximately 1 hour 45 mins on 1 engine. I believe the PIC should have not eliminated bhm as the best alternative. Shooting an IFR approach and landing in light snow (good braking) with a crosswind at bhm would have had us back on the ground much sooner. Perhaps a better definition of what is or is not a suitable alternate would have helped. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the problem with the engine was a small oil line associated with the starter/generator apparently not connected securely. The reporter was asked if he still felt the captain should have returned to his departure point because it was closer. The reporter said he did. He did not feel going into the WX was a problem and flying that long on 1 engine was. The reporter was asked if he had experienced problems with those engines. He stated he had about 700 hours and had to make a precautionary engine shutdown when another oil line to an engine oil cooler came loose. The reporter was asked if the FAA had contested the captain's decision and he said no. The reporter was asked if the WX were good around nashville. He said the WX was bad south and east of stl. The WX had been in the stl area and moved on south and east. The WX was fairly clear at cape girardeau but there was snow on the runways and strong xwinds. The reporter was asked if the WX in bhm was improving. He said no, the WX was just moving in when they left and conditions were deteriorating. The reporter still felt an overriding need to land at the closest airport which was bhm about 100 mi back.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC EXPERIENCED LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATIONS ON THE GAUGE AND CORRESPONDING WARNING LIGHT. THE ENG AS PER PROCEDURE WAS SHUT DOWN. THE WX AT DEP POINT WAS 800 FT OVCST AND SNOW AND THE DEST WAS CLR AND WINDS WERE DOWN THE RWY. THE CLOSER ARPTS HAD WX PROBS. THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND CONTINUED TO DEST. THE FO THOUGHT THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE DEP ARPT BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSER AND FLOWN THE INST APCH.

Narrative: THE BAE JETSTREAM 41'S L ENG WOULD NOT START IN BIRMINGHAM, AL. MAINT CHANGED THE STARTER/GENERATOR AND WE DEPARTED BHM AT XA13 CST, FOR STL. APPROX 90 NM NW OF VULCAN VOR OUR L OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE AND IN ABOUT 5 MINS LATER THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. WE EXECUTED THE PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN PER THE CHKLIST AND DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZME. THE DISCUSSION NOW CTRED ON WHERE THE CLOSEST SUITABLE ALTERNATE WAS. AFTER I HAD SUGGESTED RETURNING TO BHM THE PIC STATED HE DID NOT WANT TO SHOOT A SINGLE ENG IFR APCH. CAPE GIRARDEAU HAD STRONG XWINDS AND SNOW AND ICE ON THE RWY AND WAS DEEMED BY THE PIC AS NOT SUITABLE. STL WX WAS CLR WITH WINDS DOWN THE RWY AT 10 KTS AND GOOD BRAKING ACTION. THE PIC'S DECISION WAS TO CONTINUE ON TO OUR DEST (STL) BECAUSE OF THE FAVORABLE WX AND RWY CONDITIONS. WITH PREVAILING HEADWINDS THE FLT AT 12000 FT MSL TO STL TOOK APPROX 1 HR 45 MINS ON 1 ENG. I BELIEVE THE PIC SHOULD HAVE NOT ELIMINATED BHM AS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE. SHOOTING AN IFR APCH AND LNDG IN LIGHT SNOW (GOOD BRAKING) WITH A XWIND AT BHM WOULD HAVE HAD US BACK ON THE GND MUCH SOONER. PERHAPS A BETTER DEFINITION OF WHAT IS OR IS NOT A SUITABLE ALTERNATE WOULD HAVE HELPED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PROB WITH THE ENG WAS A SMALL OIL LINE ASSOCIATED WITH THE STARTER/GENERATOR APPARENTLY NOT CONNECTED SECURELY. THE RPTR WAS ASKED IF HE STILL FELT THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO HIS DEP POINT BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSER. THE RPTR SAID HE DID. HE DID NOT FEEL GOING INTO THE WX WAS A PROB AND FLYING THAT LONG ON 1 ENG WAS. THE RPTR WAS ASKED IF HE HAD EXPERIENCED PROBS WITH THOSE ENGS. HE STATED HE HAD ABOUT 700 HRS AND HAD TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN WHEN ANOTHER OIL LINE TO AN ENG OIL COOLER CAME LOOSE. THE RPTR WAS ASKED IF THE FAA HAD CONTESTED THE CAPT'S DECISION AND HE SAID NO. THE RPTR WAS ASKED IF THE WX WERE GOOD AROUND NASHVILLE. HE SAID THE WX WAS BAD S AND E OF STL. THE WX HAD BEEN IN THE STL AREA AND MOVED ON S AND E. THE WX WAS FAIRLY CLR AT CAPE GIRARDEAU BUT THERE WAS SNOW ON THE RWYS AND STRONG XWINDS. THE RPTR WAS ASKED IF THE WX IN BHM WAS IMPROVING. HE SAID NO, THE WX WAS JUST MOVING IN WHEN THEY LEFT AND CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING. THE RPTR STILL FELT AN OVERRIDING NEED TO LAND AT THE CLOSEST ARPT WHICH WAS BHM ABOUT 100 MI BACK.

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.