Narrative:

We had leveled off at FL390 at cruise for about 40 mins. Approximately 125 mi from msy, the first officer and I noticed a rapid drop in oil quantity followed by a drop in oil pressure. I asked for the low oil pressure checklist. It was accomplished forthwith. We advised center that we would be needing a lower and declared an emergency. We asked for direct to msy. As we pulled the throttles back to idle to start the descent, we shut down the right engine as per the checklist. From the time we noticed the oil pressure dropping till we had the engine secure was approximately 30 seconds. We called dispatch and conferred that msy was the closest suitable airport. The flight attendants were advised of the situation when we first started the descent. The passenger were advised in the descent after all checklists and ATC and dispatch calls were complete. The opc was used for driftdown and single engine landing performance. An uneventful landing was made at msy. Sent the fire trucks home and arrived at the gate. Made logbook entry for engine shutdown and APU not starting in-flight. Tried the first APU start at FL220. This was the first officer's flight leg, but after the engine shut down, I assumed the controls.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 FLT LOSES OIL IN ITS #2 ENG. AFTER CONFERRING WITH DISPATCH, PIC ELECTS TO CONTINUE FLT TO DEST ARPT AT MSY, LA.

Narrative: WE HAD LEVELED OFF AT FL390 AT CRUISE FOR ABOUT 40 MINS. APPROX 125 MI FROM MSY, THE FO AND I NOTICED A RAPID DROP IN OIL QUANTITY FOLLOWED BY A DROP IN OIL PRESSURE. I ASKED FOR THE LOW OIL PRESSURE CHKLIST. IT WAS ACCOMPLISHED FORTHWITH. WE ADVISED CTR THAT WE WOULD BE NEEDING A LOWER AND DECLARED AN EMER. WE ASKED FOR DIRECT TO MSY. AS WE PULLED THE THROTTLES BACK TO IDLE TO START THE DSCNT, WE SHUT DOWN THE R ENG AS PER THE CHKLIST. FROM THE TIME WE NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPING TILL WE HAD THE ENG SECURE WAS APPROX 30 SECONDS. WE CALLED DISPATCH AND CONFERRED THAT MSY WAS THE CLOSEST SUITABLE ARPT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ADVISED OF THE SIT WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE DSCNT. THE PAX WERE ADVISED IN THE DSCNT AFTER ALL CHKLISTS AND ATC AND DISPATCH CALLS WERE COMPLETE. THE OPC WAS USED FOR DRIFTDOWN AND SINGLE ENG LNDG PERFORMANCE. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE AT MSY. SENT THE FIRE TRUCKS HOME AND ARRIVED AT THE GATE. MADE LOGBOOK ENTRY FOR ENG SHUTDOWN AND APU NOT STARTING INFLT. TRIED THE FIRST APU START AT FL220. THIS WAS THE FO'S FLT LEG, BUT AFTER THE ENG SHUT DOWN, I ASSUMED THE CTLS.

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.