Narrative:

On takeoff roll out of msy I noticed right engine oil psi seemed a little low, approximately 100 psi, but within limits. I continued to monitor engine instruments and at about 4000 ft MSL the right oil psi gauge began to fluctuate plus or minus 10 psi, again within limits. At this time the crew began discussing the possibility of an engine shutdown and return to msy. At 9000 ft MSL the oil gauge dropped into the yellow arc and power was reduced to 2000 pounds torque. A call was then made to departure control for a return to msy. During descent right oil psi gauge began to fluctuate beyond the 10 psi limit and red low oil psi annunciator flickered on then off. There were no signs of an increase in oil temperature or itt, however, a precautionary engine shutdown was accomplished as per engine fire or failure in flight checklist. No emergency was declared as agreed upon by the crew, and msy was given fuel load and souls on board. At msy aircraft mechanic reported that oil was 6-8 quarts low on right engine. There were, however, no signs of oil leaks. The oil log was reviewed by the mechanic and myself. There were no indications of any abnormal oil burns other than standard oil entry logs. After inspection of the aircraft and a maintenance run-up as well as further discussion with maintenance, the crew was assured of engine integrity. Aircraft was then signed off as safe for flight. On the subsequent flts msy-pns-tlh-sat there were also no signs of any oil leaks during the post-flight walkarounds, and the right engine was running very well. Upon landing at jax I rebriefed the next crew on the precautionary engine shutdown at msy. Once again post and new crew preflts showed no signs of oil leaks on airframe or ground area. Problem: crew should have declared emergency. However, all was well, good training, crew preparation, good WX and communications. Recommendation: ATC should be required to declare an emergency for ground operations anytime an aircraft is arriving with one or more of the engines secured. This is in lieu of a crew decision. ATC should also notify the crew of this action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT FLC HAS ENG OIL PRESSURE GAUGE INDICATE LOW ON TKOF THEN FLUCTUATE. ENG SHUT DOWN.

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL OUT OF MSY I NOTICED R ENG OIL PSI SEEMED A LITTLE LOW, APPROX 100 PSI, BUT WITHIN LIMITS. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR ENG INSTS AND AT ABOUT 4000 FT MSL THE R OIL PSI GAUGE BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE PLUS OR MINUS 10 PSI, AGAIN WITHIN LIMITS. AT THIS TIME THE CREW BEGAN DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ENG SHUTDOWN AND RETURN TO MSY. AT 9000 FT MSL THE OIL GAUGE DROPPED INTO THE YELLOW ARC AND PWR WAS REDUCED TO 2000 LBS TORQUE. A CALL WAS THEN MADE TO DEP CTL FOR A RETURN TO MSY. DURING DSCNT R OIL PSI GAUGE BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE BEYOND THE 10 PSI LIMIT AND RED LOW OIL PSI ANNUNCIATOR FLICKERED ON THEN OFF. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF AN INCREASE IN OIL TEMP OR ITT, HOWEVER, A PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN WAS ACCOMPLISHED AS PER ENG FIRE OR FAILURE IN FLT CHKLIST. NO EMER WAS DECLARED AS AGREED UPON BY THE CREW, AND MSY WAS GIVEN FUEL LOAD AND SOULS ON BOARD. AT MSY ACFT MECH RPTED THAT OIL WAS 6-8 QUARTS LOW ON R ENG. THERE WERE, HOWEVER, NO SIGNS OF OIL LEAKS. THE OIL LOG WAS REVIEWED BY THE MECH AND MYSELF. THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF ANY ABNORMAL OIL BURNS OTHER THAN STANDARD OIL ENTRY LOGS. AFTER INSPECTION OF THE ACFT AND A MAINT RUN-UP AS WELL AS FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH MAINT, THE CREW WAS ASSURED OF ENG INTEGRITY. ACFT WAS THEN SIGNED OFF AS SAFE FOR FLT. ON THE SUBSEQUENT FLTS MSY-PNS-TLH-SAT THERE WERE ALSO NO SIGNS OF ANY OIL LEAKS DURING THE POST-FLT WALKAROUNDS, AND THE R ENG WAS RUNNING VERY WELL. UPON LNDG AT JAX I REBRIEFED THE NEXT CREW ON THE PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN AT MSY. ONCE AGAIN POST AND NEW CREW PREFLTS SHOWED NO SIGNS OF OIL LEAKS ON AIRFRAME OR GND AREA. PROB: CREW SHOULD HAVE DECLARED EMER. HOWEVER, ALL WAS WELL, GOOD TRAINING, CREW PREPARATION, GOOD WX AND COMS. RECOMMENDATION: ATC SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO DECLARE AN EMER FOR GND OPS ANYTIME AN ACFT IS ARRIVING WITH ONE OR MORE OF THE ENGS SECURED. THIS IS IN LIEU OF A CREW DECISION. ATC SHOULD ALSO NOTIFY THE CREW OF THIS ACTION.

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.