Narrative:

En route from hawthorne, ca, to san diego, ca, approximately 40 mi south of los angeles, the aircraft began to lose oil pressure, until the gauge indicated well below the red line or low limit. Oil temperature increased, and continued to increase, although remaining below the red line. The pilot immediately informed ATC (socal departure) of the problem, but declined to declare an emergency, instead requesting an immediate approach and landing at L32 airport, only 8-10 mi ahead. The aircraft was operating in scattered to broken cloud cover during this entire period. ATC cleared the aircraft to descend at the pilot's discretion, and cleared it for an approach at L32 requesting the pilot to report canceling IFR. Approximately 4 mi north of oceanside VOR, the pilot mistakenly idented nfg airport as oceanside, reported the airport in sight, and canceled IFR. After changing to the CTAF (for L32), still several mi from camp pendleton, the pilot realized that the airport he had idented was a military base, not L32. However, because L32 was not in sight, and not wanting to risk a power off approach to L32 through IMC, the pilot elected to land on the military base, because the base was clearly within gliding range, and because a VFR descent and landing was possible there, even if the engine had failed because of oil loss. There appeared to be no activity on the base, and a safe approach and landing was executed under VFR. Upon landing, the pilot and passenger were accosted by military police, and their persons and the plane were searched. The next day, 2 mechanics were allowed to inspect the plane, added engine oil, and determined that the plane was airworthy for the mechanics to fly to a nearby airport for a more detailed examination. Prior to departure from hawthorne, the pilot had positively verified the plane's oil level was within operating range, at 6 quarts, in addition to performing a thorough preflight inspection. After making the precautionary landing at camp pendleton, after approximately 3/4 of an hour of flight, the dipstick indicated only 4 quarts. At the time of this report being issued, no mechanical problem or reason for the rapid, 2 quart oil consumption had been determined. It is likely that the airplane's engine would have continued to run normally and permitted a landing at the nearby L32 airport. However, in view of the engine gauge indications, the pilot felt that remaining in VFR conditions and landing at the nearest airport in sight was the safest course of action, regardless of any repercussions from landing in a restr area. From the gauge information, which was very definite, the pilot had to assume that the engine could seize at any time, and made the decision to make a precautionary landing under VFR, rather than risk an engine failure in IMC, over unfamiliar and hilly terrain. 2 pilot inactions were: 1) not declaring an emergency when given opportunity, and 2) not requesting continued radar service until safely on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT LOW TIME PLT IN SMA ACFT MISTOOK A MIL ARPT FOR CIVILIAN ARPT WHERE HE WAS DIVERTING FOR PERCEIVED ENG TROUBLE.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM HAWTHORNE, CA, TO SAN DIEGO, CA, APPROX 40 MI S OF LOS ANGELES, THE ACFT BEGAN TO LOSE OIL PRESSURE, UNTIL THE GAUGE INDICATED WELL BELOW THE RED LINE OR LOW LIMIT. OIL TEMP INCREASED, AND CONTINUED TO INCREASE, ALTHOUGH REMAINING BELOW THE RED LINE. THE PLT IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ATC (SOCAL DEP) OF THE PROB, BUT DECLINED TO DECLARE AN EMER, INSTEAD REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE APCH AND LNDG AT L32 ARPT, ONLY 8-10 MI AHEAD. THE ACFT WAS OPERATING IN SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUD COVER DURING THIS ENTIRE PERIOD. ATC CLRED THE ACFT TO DSND AT THE PLT'S DISCRETION, AND CLRED IT FOR AN APCH AT L32 REQUESTING THE PLT TO RPT CANCELING IFR. APPROX 4 MI N OF OCEANSIDE VOR, THE PLT MISTAKENLY IDENTED NFG ARPT AS OCEANSIDE, RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT, AND CANCELED IFR. AFTER CHANGING TO THE CTAF (FOR L32), STILL SEVERAL MI FROM CAMP PENDLETON, THE PLT REALIZED THAT THE ARPT HE HAD IDENTED WAS A MIL BASE, NOT L32. HOWEVER, BECAUSE L32 WAS NOT IN SIGHT, AND NOT WANTING TO RISK A PWR OFF APCH TO L32 THROUGH IMC, THE PLT ELECTED TO LAND ON THE MIL BASE, BECAUSE THE BASE WAS CLRLY WITHIN GLIDING RANGE, AND BECAUSE A VFR DSCNT AND LNDG WAS POSSIBLE THERE, EVEN IF THE ENG HAD FAILED BECAUSE OF OIL LOSS. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO ACTIVITY ON THE BASE, AND A SAFE APCH AND LNDG WAS EXECUTED UNDER VFR. UPON LNDG, THE PLT AND PAX WERE ACCOSTED BY MIL POLICE, AND THEIR PERSONS AND THE PLANE WERE SEARCHED. THE NEXT DAY, 2 MECHS WERE ALLOWED TO INSPECT THE PLANE, ADDED ENG OIL, AND DETERMINED THAT THE PLANE WAS AIRWORTHY FOR THE MECHS TO FLY TO A NEARBY ARPT FOR A MORE DETAILED EXAM. PRIOR TO DEP FROM HAWTHORNE, THE PLT HAD POSITIVELY VERIFIED THE PLANE'S OIL LEVEL WAS WITHIN OPERATING RANGE, AT 6 QUARTS, IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING A THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION. AFTER MAKING THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT CAMP PENDLETON, AFTER APPROX 3/4 OF AN HR OF FLT, THE DIPSTICK INDICATED ONLY 4 QUARTS. AT THE TIME OF THIS RPT BEING ISSUED, NO MECHANICAL PROB OR REASON FOR THE RAPID, 2 QUART OIL CONSUMPTION HAD BEEN DETERMINED. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENG WOULD HAVE CONTINUED TO RUN NORMALLY AND PERMITTED A LNDG AT THE NEARBY L32 ARPT. HOWEVER, IN VIEW OF THE ENG GAUGE INDICATIONS, THE PLT FELT THAT REMAINING IN VFR CONDITIONS AND LNDG AT THE NEAREST ARPT IN SIGHT WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION, REGARDLESS OF ANY REPERCUSSIONS FROM LNDG IN A RESTR AREA. FROM THE GAUGE INFO, WHICH WAS VERY DEFINITE, THE PLT HAD TO ASSUME THAT THE ENG COULD SEIZE AT ANY TIME, AND MADE THE DECISION TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG UNDER VFR, RATHER THAN RISK AN ENG FAILURE IN IMC, OVER UNFAMILIAR AND HILLY TERRAIN. 2 PLT INACTIONS WERE: 1) NOT DECLARING AN EMER WHEN GIVEN OPPORTUNITY, AND 2) NOT REQUESTING CONTINUED RADAR SVC UNTIL SAFELY ON THE GND.

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.