Narrative:

During cruise at FL290, north of holma on amber 300, the #1 engine low oil pressure light illuminated. Oil quantity was decreasing and oil temperature was slowly increasing. Checklist was called for and accomplished. Left engine was shut down per checklist procedures. Flight was filed phl-sju. Bda was 200 mi east at time of occurrence and decision was made to divert there. Winds were initially reported marginal but in limits. Upon arrival winds had gotten stronger with crosswind gusts in excess of 30 KTS. Runway 12 was initially used for crosswind considerations, but due to crosswind in excess of 30 KTS and airspeed deviations noted during the approach, gars were initiated on 2 approachs to runway 12. Additionally deteriorating WX conditions northwest of the field dictated a short final turn on to remain VFR. We asked for and received clearance for the ILS to runway 30. WX conditions on the approach phase were more favorable and airspeed deviations were minimal. An overweight, single engine approach and landing was accomplished with a weight of 123000 pounds. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft was a B737-400 with CFM56 engines. The postflt inspection revealed that a main bearing in the accessory case had failed, causing the loss of oil. The case was going to be changed in bda, but then it was noted that the engine had but 600 cycles left before overhaul, so the engine was removed for shipment to maintenance. The communications to ZNY were enhanced, for as soon as the aircraft was within 150-200 mi from bda, a VHF frequency was available direct to the center controller. The flight was diverted to bda because the winds aloft were from the wsw at 70 KTS at cruise altitude. The flight was 200 mi from bda and over 500 mi from orf, making the choice for bda quite obvious. The reported winds at bda were 1 KT under the airline's crosswind limits. The actual on arrival, counting gusts, was 35 KTS as the wind was a direct 90 degree crosswind. The captain did not know, and the operating manual did not state, the maximum demonstrated crosswind for this aircraft. It was later determined that it was 45 KTS for the B737-400. The aircraft was 4000 pounds over maximum landing weight. Runway 12 was initially chosen because of the crosswind direction from the right and the fact that #1 engine was shut down. The captain wanted the maximum rudder availability that runway 12 would provide. Rule: bad engine into crosswind is bad. Runway 12 did not work out because the local WX prevented the captain from establishing a long enough final to stabilize his approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 FLT DIVERTS TO BERMUDA AFTER SHUTTING DOWN #1 ENG DUE TO OIL LOSS. FLT SUFFERS FROM XWINDS AT BDA.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE AT FL290, N OF HOLMA ON AMBER 300, THE #1 ENG LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. OIL QUANTITY WAS DECREASING AND OIL TEMP WAS SLOWLY INCREASING. CHKLIST WAS CALLED FOR AND ACCOMPLISHED. L ENG WAS SHUT DOWN PER CHKLIST PROCS. FLT WAS FILED PHL-SJU. BDA WAS 200 MI E AT TIME OF OCCURRENCE AND DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT THERE. WINDS WERE INITIALLY RPTED MARGINAL BUT IN LIMITS. UPON ARR WINDS HAD GOTTEN STRONGER WITH XWIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 30 KTS. RWY 12 WAS INITIALLY USED FOR XWIND CONSIDERATIONS, BUT DUE TO XWIND IN EXCESS OF 30 KTS AND AIRSPD DEVS NOTED DURING THE APCH, GARS WERE INITIATED ON 2 APCHS TO RWY 12. ADDITIONALLY DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS NW OF THE FIELD DICTATED A SHORT FINAL TURN ON TO REMAIN VFR. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC FOR THE ILS TO RWY 30. WX CONDITIONS ON THE APCH PHASE WERE MORE FAVORABLE AND AIRSPD DEVS WERE MINIMAL. AN OVERWT, SINGLE ENG APCH AND LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH A WT OF 123000 LBS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT WAS A B737-400 WITH CFM56 ENGS. THE POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A MAIN BEARING IN THE ACCESSORY CASE HAD FAILED, CAUSING THE LOSS OF OIL. THE CASE WAS GOING TO BE CHANGED IN BDA, BUT THEN IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ENG HAD BUT 600 CYCLES LEFT BEFORE OVERHAUL, SO THE ENG WAS REMOVED FOR SHIPMENT TO MAINT. THE COMS TO ZNY WERE ENHANCED, FOR AS SOON AS THE ACFT WAS WITHIN 150-200 MI FROM BDA, A VHF FREQ WAS AVAILABLE DIRECT TO THE CTR CTLR. THE FLT WAS DIVERTED TO BDA BECAUSE THE WINDS ALOFT WERE FROM THE WSW AT 70 KTS AT CRUISE ALT. THE FLT WAS 200 MI FROM BDA AND OVER 500 MI FROM ORF, MAKING THE CHOICE FOR BDA QUITE OBVIOUS. THE RPTED WINDS AT BDA WERE 1 KT UNDER THE AIRLINE'S XWIND LIMITS. THE ACTUAL ON ARR, COUNTING GUSTS, WAS 35 KTS AS THE WIND WAS A DIRECT 90 DEG XWIND. THE CAPT DID NOT KNOW, AND THE OPERATING MANUAL DID NOT STATE, THE MAX DEMONSTRATED XWIND FOR THIS ACFT. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT IT WAS 45 KTS FOR THE B737-400. THE ACFT WAS 4000 LBS OVER MAX LNDG WT. RWY 12 WAS INITIALLY CHOSEN BECAUSE OF THE XWIND DIRECTION FROM THE R AND THE FACT THAT #1 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. THE CAPT WANTED THE MAX RUDDER AVAILABILITY THAT RWY 12 WOULD PROVIDE. RULE: BAD ENG INTO XWIND IS BAD. RWY 12 DID NOT WORK OUT BECAUSE THE LCL WX PREVENTED THE CAPT FROM ESTABLISHING A LONG ENOUGH FINAL TO STABILIZE HIS APCH.

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.