Narrative:

After climbing out of atlanta and leveling off at FL230 en route to fayetteville, I (first officer) noticed an exceedingly high oil pressure reading on the left engine while completing the cruise checklist. I told the captain of this and I proceeded to reset the circuit breaker for the oil pressure gauge. After resetting the breaker, the pressure still remained high. I consulted the pilot operating handbook (poh) and then discovered that there was no corrective action in the poh. I told captain of this and then consulted with the company maintenance. Maintenance told me to follow the poh, and I instructed them that there was no checklist for this sort of dilemma. In the meantime, the captain was pulling the left power lever to flight idle and turning the aircraft back to atlanta without my input. This startled me. After getting off the frequency with maintenance, the captain instructed me to shut down the left engine. Before I could get a word in, he was screaming at me to complete the 'engine failure and fire en route checklist.' with the captain rushing me to complete the checklist, I completed the checklist. ATC asked if assistance was needed and I responded positively. Radar vectors were given back to atlanta. We deviated as necessary around thunderstorm cells just east of atlanta. Landing was uneventful, with no damage to the aircraft and no passenger injured. The captain shut down a perfectly good engine because he was worried about seizing a 1 million dollar engine. This put 3 crew members and 26 passenger's lives in jeopardy. Since this was an emergency situation, turning back to atlanta was a poor idea. Landing in columbia, sc, would have been a much better idea (only 45 NM away versus 100 NM to atlanta).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE FLC OF AN E120 SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENG AFTER NOTING AN 'EXCEEDINGLY HIGH' OIL PRESSURE INDICATION. THE FLC THEN REQUESTED ATC ASSISTANCE AND RETURNED TO THEIR ORIGINATION ARPT, WHICH WAS 100 NM AWAY.

Narrative: AFTER CLBING OUT OF ATLANTA AND LEVELING OFF AT FL230 ENRTE TO FAYETTEVILLE, I (FO) NOTICED AN EXCEEDINGLY HIGH OIL PRESSURE READING ON THE L ENG WHILE COMPLETING THE CRUISE CHKLIST. I TOLD THE CAPT OF THIS AND I PROCEEDED TO RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE. AFTER RESETTING THE BREAKER, THE PRESSURE STILL REMAINED HIGH. I CONSULTED THE PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH) AND THEN DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NO CORRECTIVE ACTION IN THE POH. I TOLD CAPT OF THIS AND THEN CONSULTED WITH THE COMPANY MAINT. MAINT TOLD ME TO FOLLOW THE POH, AND I INSTRUCTED THEM THAT THERE WAS NO CHKLIST FOR THIS SORT OF DILEMMA. IN THE MEANTIME, THE CAPT WAS PULLING THE L PWR LEVER TO FLT IDLE AND TURNING THE ACFT BACK TO ATLANTA WITHOUT MY INPUT. THIS STARTLED ME. AFTER GETTING OFF THE FREQ WITH MAINT, THE CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO SHUT DOWN THE L ENG. BEFORE I COULD GET A WORD IN, HE WAS SCREAMING AT ME TO COMPLETE THE 'ENG FAILURE AND FIRE ENRTE CHKLIST.' WITH THE CAPT RUSHING ME TO COMPLETE THE CHKLIST, I COMPLETED THE CHKLIST. ATC ASKED IF ASSISTANCE WAS NEEDED AND I RESPONDED POSITIVELY. RADAR VECTORS WERE GIVEN BACK TO ATLANTA. WE DEVIATED AS NECESSARY AROUND TSTM CELLS JUST E OF ATLANTA. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT AND NO PAX INJURED. THE CAPT SHUT DOWN A PERFECTLY GOOD ENG BECAUSE HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT SEIZING A 1 MILLION DOLLAR ENG. THIS PUT 3 CREW MEMBERS AND 26 PAX'S LIVES IN JEOPARDY. SINCE THIS WAS AN EMER SIT, TURNING BACK TO ATLANTA WAS A POOR IDEA. LNDG IN COLUMBIA, SC, WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH BETTER IDEA (ONLY 45 NM AWAY VERSUS 100 NM TO ATLANTA).

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.