Narrative:

At FL350, in cruise mode, I noticed that our oil quantity had dropped from 4 gallons to 1.25 gallons in our #1 engine. Watching the gauge, it still showed depleting quantity. I contacted air carrier maintenance (maintenance control). They said if I (as captain) was comfortable, I could continue to syr. I elected to continue because there was contract maintenance in syr and the slow drop of oil quantity. I was at 15000 ft MSL descending into syr when oil went to zero and the low oil pressure light came on. In accordance with procedure, I shut down the #1 engine. I declared an emergency, and continued descent to a visual left downwind and landing. I did not inform the passenger, however, the flight attendants were informed. Upon landing, after clearing the runway, I made a PA to inform the passenger that we had declared an emergency due to an oil leak in our left engine. I never let passenger know I had shut down the engine. The landing was very smooth, rollout was normal. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane was a B737-200 and the loss of oil was caused by a cracked oil screen housing. The reporter said the FAA has made no contact with the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 IN CRUISE AT FL350 NOTED GRADUAL LOSS OF #1 ENG OIL, ON DSCNT AT 15000 FT, OIL QUANTITY WENT TO ZERO. EMER DECLARED AND ENG SHUTDOWN CAUSED BY A CRACKED OIL SCREEN HOUSING.

Narrative: AT FL350, IN CRUISE MODE, I NOTICED THAT OUR OIL QUANTITY HAD DROPPED FROM 4 GALLONS TO 1.25 GALLONS IN OUR #1 ENG. WATCHING THE GAUGE, IT STILL SHOWED DEPLETING QUANTITY. I CONTACTED ACR MAINT (MAINT CTL). THEY SAID IF I (AS CAPT) WAS COMFORTABLE, I COULD CONTINUE TO SYR. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE BECAUSE THERE WAS CONTRACT MAINT IN SYR AND THE SLOW DROP OF OIL QUANTITY. I WAS AT 15000 FT MSL DSNDING INTO SYR WHEN OIL WENT TO ZERO AND THE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. IN ACCORDANCE WITH PROC, I SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENG. I DECLARED AN EMER, AND CONTINUED DSCNT TO A VISUAL L DOWNWIND AND LNDG. I DID NOT INFORM THE PAX, HOWEVER, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INFORMED. UPON LNDG, AFTER CLRING THE RWY, I MADE A PA TO INFORM THE PAX THAT WE HAD DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO AN OIL LEAK IN OUR L ENG. I NEVER LET PAX KNOW I HAD SHUT DOWN THE ENG. THE LNDG WAS VERY SMOOTH, ROLLOUT WAS NORMAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS A B737-200 AND THE LOSS OF OIL WAS CAUSED BY A CRACKED OIL SCREEN HOUSING. THE RPTR SAID THE FAA HAS MADE NO CONTACT WITH THE RPTR.

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.