Narrative:

At FL280 en route from sna to sjc, I noticed the left engine oil decreasing. My first officer was flying the airplane and I instructed him to continue. I proceeded with the engine oil decreasing (quantity) procedure checklist. Per the checklist, we continued operation and monitored the left engine operation. At about 120 NM from sjc at FL280, oil quantity decreased to zero. Still all other engine indications were normal. At this time, we told ZOA we were experiencing abnormal engine readings and requested direct to sjc and a descent to FL240 as a precaution. Descending to FL240 direct sjc, we started seeing low oil pressure readings on the left engine. I proceeded with the oil pressure low indication checklist in the procedures and messages section of our emergency QRH handbook. At about 80-90 NM from sjc, we proceeded with the in-flight engine shutdown checklist, informed ATC of our situation, requested priority handling and requested a lower altitude. We were granted all of the above. I then notified the cabin crew of our situation, told them to prepare for a normal landing. I then told the passenger of our situation and that there was no need for alarm. Prior to notifying the cabin crew/passenger, I notified our company/flight control of our situation and our arrival time. We proceeded with the approach, before landing/after landing and parking checklist at the appropriate times. We had considered diverting to another airport, however, looking at our altitude versus distance to sjc, we basically glided the aircraft to sjc where runway 30L is a long runway and there are very good emergency services available. Afterwards at the gate, I spoke with maintenance. Informed them we shut down the engine (left) per the checklist. I wrote in the maintenance logbook the actual discrepancy (loss of oil quantity left engine). I then spoke with our flight control and chief pilot. Gave them a complete rundown of the situation over the phone. The next day I turned in a 3 1/2 page report to the chief pilot's office detailing the entire event including our observations, which checklists we used, the fact we requested priority handling (emergency) and had emergency equipment standing by in sjc at our time of arrival.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD90 CREW SHUTS THEIR L ENG DOWN 85 MI FROM SJC WHEN THE CAPT NOTES A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE FOLLOWING A PROLONGED PERIOD OF OIL QUANTITY LOSS.

Narrative: AT FL280 ENRTE FROM SNA TO SJC, I NOTICED THE L ENG OIL DECREASING. MY FO WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND I INSTRUCTED HIM TO CONTINUE. I PROCEEDED WITH THE ENG OIL DECREASING (QUANTITY) PROC CHKLIST. PER THE CHKLIST, WE CONTINUED OP AND MONITORED THE L ENG OP. AT ABOUT 120 NM FROM SJC AT FL280, OIL QUANTITY DECREASED TO ZERO. STILL ALL OTHER ENG INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. AT THIS TIME, WE TOLD ZOA WE WERE EXPERIENCING ABNORMAL ENG READINGS AND REQUESTED DIRECT TO SJC AND A DSCNT TO FL240 AS A PRECAUTION. DSNDING TO FL240 DIRECT SJC, WE STARTED SEEING LOW OIL PRESSURE READINGS ON THE L ENG. I PROCEEDED WITH THE OIL PRESSURE LOW INDICATION CHKLIST IN THE PROCS AND MESSAGES SECTION OF OUR EMER QRH HANDBOOK. AT ABOUT 80-90 NM FROM SJC, WE PROCEEDED WITH THE INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN CHKLIST, INFORMED ATC OF OUR SIT, REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALT. WE WERE GRANTED ALL OF THE ABOVE. I THEN NOTIFIED THE CABIN CREW OF OUR SIT, TOLD THEM TO PREPARE FOR A NORMAL LNDG. I THEN TOLD THE PAX OF OUR SIT AND THAT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR ALARM. PRIOR TO NOTIFYING THE CABIN CREW/PAX, I NOTIFIED OUR COMPANY/FLT CTL OF OUR SIT AND OUR ARR TIME. WE PROCEEDED WITH THE APCH, BEFORE LNDG/AFTER LNDG AND PARKING CHKLIST AT THE APPROPRIATE TIMES. WE HAD CONSIDERED DIVERTING TO ANOTHER ARPT, HOWEVER, LOOKING AT OUR ALT VERSUS DISTANCE TO SJC, WE BASICALLY GLIDED THE ACFT TO SJC WHERE RWY 30L IS A LONG RWY AND THERE ARE VERY GOOD EMER SVCS AVAILABLE. AFTERWARDS AT THE GATE, I SPOKE WITH MAINT. INFORMED THEM WE SHUT DOWN THE ENG (L) PER THE CHKLIST. I WROTE IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK THE ACTUAL DISCREPANCY (LOSS OF OIL QUANTITY L ENG). I THEN SPOKE WITH OUR FLT CTL AND CHIEF PLT. GAVE THEM A COMPLETE RUNDOWN OF THE SIT OVER THE PHONE. THE NEXT DAY I TURNED IN A 3 1/2 PAGE RPT TO THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE DETAILING THE ENTIRE EVENT INCLUDING OUR OBSERVATIONS, WHICH CHKLISTS WE USED, THE FACT WE REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING (EMER) AND HAD EMER EQUIP STANDING BY IN SJC AT OUR TIME OF ARR.

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.