Narrative:

I departed btr in my C172 on a flight to pwa airport. A fuel stop was planned at shv. A second leg was planned from shv to pwa. The night/day IFR flight was conducted in VMC. At approximately 1 hour 40 mins into the flight, I received a handoff from fort polk ATC to shv approach. I then contacted shv approach 'aircraft identify 6000 ft with ATIS information.' ATC, 'good morning, pilot's discretion to 3000 ft, expect runway 14.' I replied, 'out of 6000 ft pilot's discretion to 3000 ft, request runway 23.' ATC, 'expect the visual to runway 23.' to which I replied, 'we'll expect the visual to runway 23.' while that communication was taking place I made adjustments to the throttle, mixture and trim and started a 200-300 FPM descent. After scanning the control instruments I looked right to check the engine's performance instruments to confirm the adjustments I made to the engine and trim. I observed that the oil pressure was out of 'the green' and about 1/2 way to zero. Also the tach was about 200 RPM's lower than expected. I woke my only passenger and told him, 'we have a low oil pressure.' he questioned the validity of the gauge. I replied, 'the RPM's are low. Where is the nearest airport?' he entered, 'nearest airport' on my M-1 northstar LORAN and it indicated '14 mi and 170 degrees to red river airport (OR7).' I immediately turned left to a heading of 170 degrees, and pulling some power off, retrimmed the airplane, stopping the descent. In the left turn I called approach, 'we have a low oil pressure. Cancel IFR. Proceeding red river. Landing red river. Request to remain on my squawk for flight following.' ATC, 'roger.' ATC, 'red river 12 O'clock and 12 mi.' I replied, 'roger.' because the engine was losing power and red river was unattainable and with the availability of open fields below, I elected to shut down the engine and set up for an emergency off-field landing. I notified approach that I had shut down the engine and had several fields in sight and was going to pick one for landing. Approach called me back several times, even having another aircraft try to relay to me, but I 'tuned them out,' as I was busy looking over and discussing a landing spot. There were fields with cattle, hay rolls, xfencing and power lines. We then spotted a blacktop road which I did not, at first, want to use because of possible traffic and power lines. On closer examination, the north/south road was long and straight with power lines on the east side and about a 1 mi section of pine trees on the west side. Also, it offered a field on the east side of the power lines. I decided to land north, and go for that section of road, keeping open the option to sidestep to the field if we spotted traffic or power lines. After a circle to a downwind and base, I found myself high and had to use 40 degree flaps with a full deflection slip and s-turns to get down by the target landing point. In the flare, I had to maneuver to the right to avoid a street sign and then keep the nose high to compensate for the rising road. The landing was accomplished, mains first with a short up-hill rollout and resulted with no injuries and no damage to the aircraft. I notified ATC via the overhead aircraft that we were on the ground with no injuries and no aircraft damage. We then moved the aircraft into a 'local's' yard. I then phoned ATC at barksdale AFB to make sure they knew we were ok.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C172 HAS LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATION, CANCELS IFR FLT PLAN AND DIVERTS TO NEARBY ARPT. UNABLE TO REACH THE ARPT, THE LNDG IS MADE ON A ROAD SIGHTED ENRTE TO THE ARPT. LNDG ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO INJURIES.

Narrative: I DEPARTED BTR IN MY C172 ON A FLT TO PWA ARPT. A FUEL STOP WAS PLANNED AT SHV. A SECOND LEG WAS PLANNED FROM SHV TO PWA. THE NIGHT/DAY IFR FLT WAS CONDUCTED IN VMC. AT APPROX 1 HR 40 MINS INTO THE FLT, I RECEIVED A HDOF FROM FORT POLK ATC TO SHV APCH. I THEN CONTACTED SHV APCH 'ACFT IDENT 6000 FT WITH ATIS INFO.' ATC, 'GOOD MORNING, PLT'S DISCRETION TO 3000 FT, EXPECT RWY 14.' I REPLIED, 'OUT OF 6000 FT PLT'S DISCRETION TO 3000 FT, REQUEST RWY 23.' ATC, 'EXPECT THE VISUAL TO RWY 23.' TO WHICH I REPLIED, 'WE'LL EXPECT THE VISUAL TO RWY 23.' WHILE THAT COM WAS TAKING PLACE I MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE THROTTLE, MIXTURE AND TRIM AND STARTED A 200-300 FPM DSCNT. AFTER SCANNING THE CTL INSTS I LOOKED R TO CHK THE ENG'S PERFORMANCE INSTS TO CONFIRM THE ADJUSTMENTS I MADE TO THE ENG AND TRIM. I OBSERVED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE WAS OUT OF 'THE GREEN' AND ABOUT 1/2 WAY TO ZERO. ALSO THE TACH WAS ABOUT 200 RPM'S LOWER THAN EXPECTED. I WOKE MY ONLY PAX AND TOLD HIM, 'WE HAVE A LOW OIL PRESSURE.' HE QUESTIONED THE VALIDITY OF THE GAUGE. I REPLIED, 'THE RPM'S ARE LOW. WHERE IS THE NEAREST ARPT?' HE ENTERED, 'NEAREST ARPT' ON MY M-1 NORTHSTAR LORAN AND IT INDICATED '14 MI AND 170 DEGS TO RED RIVER ARPT (OR7).' I IMMEDIATELY TURNED L TO A HDG OF 170 DEGS, AND PULLING SOME PWR OFF, RETRIMMED THE AIRPLANE, STOPPING THE DSCNT. IN THE L TURN I CALLED APCH, 'WE HAVE A LOW OIL PRESSURE. CANCEL IFR. PROCEEDING RED RIVER. LNDG RED RIVER. REQUEST TO REMAIN ON MY SQUAWK FOR FLT FOLLOWING.' ATC, 'ROGER.' ATC, 'RED RIVER 12 O'CLOCK AND 12 MI.' I REPLIED, 'ROGER.' BECAUSE THE ENG WAS LOSING PWR AND RED RIVER WAS UNATTAINABLE AND WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF OPEN FIELDS BELOW, I ELECTED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND SET UP FOR AN EMER OFF-FIELD LNDG. I NOTIFIED APCH THAT I HAD SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND HAD SEVERAL FIELDS IN SIGHT AND WAS GOING TO PICK ONE FOR LNDG. APCH CALLED ME BACK SEVERAL TIMES, EVEN HAVING ANOTHER ACFT TRY TO RELAY TO ME, BUT I 'TUNED THEM OUT,' AS I WAS BUSY LOOKING OVER AND DISCUSSING A LNDG SPOT. THERE WERE FIELDS WITH CATTLE, HAY ROLLS, XFENCING AND PWR LINES. WE THEN SPOTTED A BLACKTOP ROAD WHICH I DID NOT, AT FIRST, WANT TO USE BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE TFC AND PWR LINES. ON CLOSER EXAMINATION, THE N/S ROAD WAS LONG AND STRAIGHT WITH PWR LINES ON THE E SIDE AND ABOUT A 1 MI SECTION OF PINE TREES ON THE W SIDE. ALSO, IT OFFERED A FIELD ON THE E SIDE OF THE PWR LINES. I DECIDED TO LAND N, AND GO FOR THAT SECTION OF ROAD, KEEPING OPEN THE OPTION TO SIDESTEP TO THE FIELD IF WE SPOTTED TFC OR PWR LINES. AFTER A CIRCLE TO A DOWNWIND AND BASE, I FOUND MYSELF HIGH AND HAD TO USE 40 DEG FLAPS WITH A FULL DEFLECTION SLIP AND S-TURNS TO GET DOWN BY THE TARGET LNDG POINT. IN THE FLARE, I HAD TO MANEUVER TO THE R TO AVOID A STREET SIGN AND THEN KEEP THE NOSE HIGH TO COMPENSATE FOR THE RISING ROAD. THE LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED, MAINS FIRST WITH A SHORT UP-HILL ROLLOUT AND RESULTED WITH NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I NOTIFIED ATC VIA THE OVERHEAD ACFT THAT WE WERE ON THE GND WITH NO INJURIES AND NO ACFT DAMAGE. WE THEN MOVED THE ACFT INTO A 'LCL'S' YARD. I THEN PHONED ATC AT BARKSDALE AFB TO MAKE SURE THEY KNEW WE WERE OK.

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.