Narrative:

Slow oil leak forced engine shutdown. No communication with company maintenance or dispatch was possible due to poor reception in area. About 30 mins elapsed from onset to shutdown. We headed toward chihuahua, which I knew to be a large city and would have a good runway and emergency equipment. I failed to consider culiacon, which was our drift-down alternate under far 121.191AZ as we were preoccupied with the oil leak and lack of communication with our company. Over chihuahua oil quantity was zero, but temperatures and pressure were normal. We turned toward our route and hermosillo, which was our next drift-down alternate for the segment. About 1/3 of the way to hmo, the oil pressure began to drop. Now cuu was indeed the nearest suitable airport 'in point of time.' the engine was shut down and an uneventful landing followed. The major factor contributing to our not landing at culiacon was the slow nature of the leak and our lack of communication with our company, as well as my (only my third trip on the route) lack of familiarity with the route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN A320 AIRBUS DIVERTED TO LAND DURING CRUISE DUE TO LOSS OF OIL QUANTITY AND OIL PRESSURE IN 1 OF THE 2 ENGS. CREW SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND LANDED AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: SLOW OIL LEAK FORCED ENG SHUTDOWN. NO COM WITH COMPANY MAINT OR DISPATCH WAS POSSIBLE DUE TO POOR RECEPTION IN AREA. ABOUT 30 MINS ELAPSED FROM ONSET TO SHUTDOWN. WE HEADED TOWARD CHIHUAHUA, WHICH I KNEW TO BE A LARGE CITY AND WOULD HAVE A GOOD RWY AND EMER EQUIP. I FAILED TO CONSIDER CULIACON, WHICH WAS OUR DRIFT-DOWN ALTERNATE UNDER FAR 121.191AZ AS WE WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH THE OIL LEAK AND LACK OF COM WITH OUR COMPANY. OVER CHIHUAHUA OIL QUANTITY WAS ZERO, BUT TEMPS AND PRESSURE WERE NORMAL. WE TURNED TOWARD OUR RTE AND HERMOSILLO, WHICH WAS OUR NEXT DRIFT-DOWN ALTERNATE FOR THE SEGMENT. ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY TO HMO, THE OIL PRESSURE BEGAN TO DROP. NOW CUU WAS INDEED THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT 'IN POINT OF TIME.' THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED. THE MAJOR FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO OUR NOT LNDG AT CULIACON WAS THE SLOW NATURE OF THE LEAK AND OUR LACK OF COM WITH OUR COMPANY, AS WELL AS MY (ONLY MY THIRD TRIP ON THE RTE) LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE RTE.

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.