Dispatcher questions the decision of the PIC of a turn back during a night operation return land to ...

Attributes
ACN	579466
Time
Date	200304
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : gso.vortac
State Reference	NC
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	579466
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : not specified other flight crewa other other : 1
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

B767-300 flight crew advised oil quantity and oil pressure were decreasing. Flight was approximately abeam gso. Captain was advised by maintenance coordinator to not shut engine down unless low pressure light illuminated -- consistent with company procedures. Flight coordinated with ATC to return to atl. After initial call advising of oil pressure and quantity going down, I checked conditions, NOTAMS, etc, at airports between aircraft's position and atl, in the event engine shutdown became necessary. 20 mins later, captain called to advise that left engine oil pressure low light had illuminated, and he was going to shut the left engine, resulting in an emergency situation, and the captain stating he was proceeding to atl, exercising his emergency authority/authorized. I did not think it prudent at that point to be offering other options for landing locations, as the crew was busy flying an aircraft with 1 engine out, and I did not want to question the captain's authority/authorized or knowledge of the far's by reciting the requirement to land at the nearest suitable airport. I continued to monitor the flight's progress back to atl, as well as conditions at several other airports in the event that it was necessary to find an alternate for atl.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER QUESTIONS THE DECISION OF THE PIC OF A TURN BACK DURING A NIGHT OP RETURN LAND TO ATL OF A B767-300 AFTER AN INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN NEAR GSO, NC.

Narrative: B767-300 FLT CREW ADVISED OIL QUANTITY AND OIL PRESSURE WERE DECREASING. FLT WAS APPROX ABEAM GSO. CAPT WAS ADVISED BY MAINT COORDINATOR TO NOT SHUT ENG DOWN UNLESS LOW PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED -- CONSISTENT WITH COMPANY PROCS. FLT COORDINATED WITH ATC TO RETURN TO ATL. AFTER INITIAL CALL ADVISING OF OIL PRESSURE AND QUANTITY GOING DOWN, I CHKED CONDITIONS, NOTAMS, ETC, AT ARPTS BTWN ACFT'S POS AND ATL, IN THE EVENT ENG SHUTDOWN BECAME NECESSARY. 20 MINS LATER, CAPT CALLED TO ADVISE THAT L ENG OIL PRESSURE LOW LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED, AND HE WAS GOING TO SHUT THE L ENG, RESULTING IN AN EMER SIT, AND THE CAPT STATING HE WAS PROCEEDING TO ATL, EXERCISING HIS EMER AUTH. I DID NOT THINK IT PRUDENT AT THAT POINT TO BE OFFERING OTHER OPTIONS FOR LNDG LOCATIONS, AS THE CREW WAS BUSY FLYING AN ACFT WITH 1 ENG OUT, AND I DID NOT WANT TO QUESTION THE CAPT'S AUTH OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE FAR'S BY RECITING THE REQUIREMENT TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. I CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE FLT'S PROGRESS BACK TO ATL, AS WELL AS CONDITIONS AT SEVERAL OTHER ARPTS IN THE EVENT THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO FIND AN ALTERNATE FOR ATL.

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.

Dispatcher questions the decision of the PIC of a turn back during a night operation return land to atl of a B767-300 after an in-flight engine shutdown near gso, nc.