Narrative:

I had received flight assignment to cover flight for first officer (on check ride). This required me to go from arriving flight (from 2 day trip) to departing flight and rely on captain to file flight plan and preflight aircraft. I was to fly to destination (35-40 min flight) with captain to fly return trip to base. Prior to start, captain informed me that this aircraft had maintenance performed on right engine after his trip previous day, for engine blade problem. Normal start, no abnormal lights, takeoff and climb normal, only 1-2 inch throttle position differential for identical fan settings. Upon reaching cruise altitude of 17000 ft, captain and I noted the virtually identical settings (fan, turbine, inter-stage turbine temperature, oil temperature and pressure) for the left and right engines. Approach was busy, with moderate turbulence in descent. Palm springs approach was assigning vectors to other corp aircraft into udd. Performed left traffic entry into downwind for runway 10, canceled IFR, received frequency change to unicom and CTAF. At 1500 ft, received master warning, low right engine oil pressure annunciator light. Confirmed with captain oil pressure gauge reading of 10-20 psi (minimum is 40 psi) and we agreed for immediate engine shutdown (precautionary) even though engine was producing some thrust. As aircraft was heading directly towards psp, 5- 10 mi away, we agreed to divert because of longer runway, control tower, proximity of other corp aircraft and entry position, and emergency services available. Performed low oil pressure and engine shutdown checklist. Captain contacted palm springs approach, informed them of precautionary shutdown of right engine, did not declare emergency nor request priority. I climbed aircraft to 3000 ft AGL, and we were cleared directly to airport and runway 13 for downwind entry and handed off to palm springs tower. Tower cleared us to land. Aircraft was in gear down and flaps approach confign when shutdown was initiated, and left that way due to responsiveness of controls and left (good) engine. Aircraft was maneuvered to uneventful landing and taxied to FBO. Met by emergency fire and police vehicles. Police required my name, home address, home phone, company name, company phone, driver's license, pilot's license, and reason for engine shutdown. My recent upgrade training to captain approximately 3 months earlier, familiarity with captain, number of hours in type, and captain and my adherence to company operations specifications, FARS, and manufacturer and training procedures, made the situation uneventful and 'just like training.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter does not know what caused the low oil pressure indication. The C551 was parked at psp and pratt and whitney mechanics performed the maintenance. The reporter has not received any further inquiry regarding the in-flight precautionary engine shutdown. Reporter was asked why he didn't declare an emergency. He stated that he did not want to call attention to himself. Analyst stated why declaring an emergency was a good idea.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: R ENG WAS SHUT DOWN ON A C551 WHEN THE FLC NOTICED OIL PRESSURE INDICATIONS BELOW OPERATING LIMITATIONS. APCH CTLR WAS INFORMED OF ACFT CONDITION AND FLT DIVERTED. ACFT EQUIP PROB CRITICAL LOW ENG OIL PRESSURE.

Narrative: I HAD RECEIVED FLT ASSIGNMENT TO COVER FLT FOR FO (ON CHK RIDE). THIS REQUIRED ME TO GO FROM ARRIVING FLT (FROM 2 DAY TRIP) TO DEPARTING FLT AND RELY ON CAPT TO FILE FLT PLAN AND PREFLT ACFT. I WAS TO FLY TO DEST (35-40 MIN FLT) WITH CAPT TO FLY RETURN TRIP TO BASE. PRIOR TO START, CAPT INFORMED ME THAT THIS ACFT HAD MAINT PERFORMED ON R ENG AFTER HIS TRIP PREVIOUS DAY, FOR ENG BLADE PROB. NORMAL START, NO ABNORMAL LIGHTS, TKOF AND CLB NORMAL, ONLY 1-2 INCH THROTTLE POS DIFFERENTIAL FOR IDENTICAL FAN SETTINGS. UPON REACHING CRUISE ALT OF 17000 FT, CAPT AND I NOTED THE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL SETTINGS (FAN, TURBINE, INTER-STAGE TURBINE TEMP, OIL TEMP AND PRESSURE) FOR THE L AND R ENGS. APCH WAS BUSY, WITH MODERATE TURB IN DSCNT. PALM SPRINGS APCH WAS ASSIGNING VECTORS TO OTHER CORP ACFT INTO UDD. PERFORMED L TFC ENTRY INTO DOWNWIND FOR RWY 10, CANCELED IFR, RECEIVED FREQ CHANGE TO UNICOM AND CTAF. AT 1500 FT, RECEIVED MASTER WARNING, LOW R ENG OIL PRESSURE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT. CONFIRMED WITH CAPT OIL PRESSURE GAUGE READING OF 10-20 PSI (MINIMUM IS 40 PSI) AND WE AGREED FOR IMMEDIATE ENG SHUTDOWN (PRECAUTIONARY) EVEN THOUGH ENG WAS PRODUCING SOME THRUST. AS ACFT WAS HEADING DIRECTLY TOWARDS PSP, 5- 10 MI AWAY, WE AGREED TO DIVERT BECAUSE OF LONGER RWY, CTL TWR, PROX OF OTHER CORP ACFT AND ENTRY POS, AND EMER SVCS AVAILABLE. PERFORMED LOW OIL PRESSURE AND ENG SHUTDOWN CHKLIST. CAPT CONTACTED PALM SPRINGS APCH, INFORMED THEM OF PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF R ENG, DID NOT DECLARE EMER NOR REQUEST PRIORITY. I CLBED ACFT TO 3000 FT AGL, AND WE WERE CLRED DIRECTLY TO ARPT AND RWY 13 FOR DOWNWIND ENTRY AND HANDED OFF TO PALM SPRINGS TWR. TWR CLRED US TO LAND. ACFT WAS IN GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS APCH CONFIGN WHEN SHUTDOWN WAS INITIATED, AND LEFT THAT WAY DUE TO RESPONSIVENESS OF CTLS AND L (GOOD) ENG. ACFT WAS MANEUVERED TO UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXIED TO FBO. MET BY EMER FIRE AND POLICE VEHICLES. POLICE REQUIRED MY NAME, HOME ADDRESS, HOME PHONE, COMPANY NAME, COMPANY PHONE, DRIVER'S LICENSE, PLT'S LICENSE, AND REASON FOR ENG SHUTDOWN. MY RECENT UPGRADE TRAINING TO CAPT APPROX 3 MONTHS EARLIER, FAMILIARITY WITH CAPT, NUMBER OF HRS IN TYPE, AND CAPT AND MY ADHERENCE TO COMPANY OPS SPECS, FARS, AND MANUFACTURER AND TRAINING PROCS, MADE THE SIT UNEVENTFUL AND 'JUST LIKE TRAINING.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATION. THE C551 WAS PARKED AT PSP AND PRATT AND WHITNEY MECHS PERFORMED THE MAINT. THE RPTR HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY FURTHER INQUIRY REGARDING THE INFLT PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN. RPTR WAS ASKED WHY HE DIDN'T DECLARE AN EMER. HE STATED THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO CALL ATTN TO HIMSELF. ANALYST STATED WHY DECLARING AN EMER WAS A GOOD IDEA.

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.