Narrative:

During climb out of stl at approximately FL280, we lost oil pressure on the left engine (light came on) quantity showed zero pressure failing and temperature rising referred to our in-flight handbook and immediately declared an emergency and shut down the left engine while turning to return to stl. The copilot helped me coordinate with air carrier dispatch, stl ramp, change destination to stl in ACARS. Since we were so close to stl, the descent was near idle power until abeam the airport. We accomplished all the appropriate checklists and made an uneventful emergency landing on runway 30L at stl. Wrote up the left engine and overweight landing (smooth) in the logbook. I believe that all the training the copilot and myself received here at air carrier, especially the crew communication training (loft), made this event seem more like a simulator ride. We did have some problem getting the cabin altitude to come down and went to manual pressurization. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter advised that no details on the failed engine are available from maintenance. The reporter stated a visual check of the engine on the ground indicated no external leaks as the engine was dry but the tailpipe was not inspected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 IN CLB DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO COMPLETE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND QUANTITY ON #1 ENG.

Narrative: DURING CLB OUT OF STL AT APPROX FL280, WE LOST OIL PRESSURE ON THE L ENG (LIGHT CAME ON) QUANTITY SHOWED ZERO PRESSURE FAILING AND TEMP RISING REFERRED TO OUR INFLT HANDBOOK AND IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER AND SHUT DOWN THE L ENG WHILE TURNING TO RETURN TO STL. THE COPLT HELPED ME COORDINATE WITH ACR DISPATCH, STL RAMP, CHANGE DEST TO STL IN ACARS. SINCE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO STL, THE DSCNT WAS NEAR IDLE PWR UNTIL ABEAM THE ARPT. WE ACCOMPLISHED ALL THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL EMER LNDG ON RWY 30L AT STL. WROTE UP THE L ENG AND OVERWT LNDG (SMOOTH) IN THE LOGBOOK. I BELIEVE THAT ALL THE TRAINING THE COPLT AND MYSELF RECEIVED HERE AT ACR, ESPECIALLY THE CREW COM TRAINING (LOFT), MADE THIS EVENT SEEM MORE LIKE A SIMULATOR RIDE. WE DID HAVE SOME PROB GETTING THE CABIN ALT TO COME DOWN AND WENT TO MANUAL PRESSURIZATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ADVISED THAT NO DETAILS ON THE FAILED ENG ARE AVAILABLE FROM MAINT. THE RPTR STATED A VISUAL CHK OF THE ENG ON THE GND INDICATED NO EXTERNAL LEAKS AS THE ENG WAS DRY BUT THE TAILPIPE WAS NOT INSPECTED.

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.