Narrative:

At FL370 over cys noticed right engine oil quantity at 4 quarts, temperature and pressure normal, continued to monitor. 10 mins later quantity was 3 quarts. Contacted maintenance and dispatch, discussed situation and agreed to continue. 10-15 mins later quantity was 2 quarts. Called maintenance and dispatch again to discuss decreasing oil quantity rate of 1 quart every 10-15 mins and possible diversion to den or oma. Began reading and discussing quick reference card, drift-down, irregular low oil pressur) and irregular in-flight shutdown checklists. Oil quantity eventually dropped to zero with temperature and pressure still normal. Continued per flight manual (engine oil system) and per maintenance. Now over dsm, requested priority handling from ATC and declared an emergency. Additionally requested to maintain speed and altitude until last possible moment in order to keep engine conditions constant. Decided ord was now the nearest suitable airport (considering altitude and tailwind) and began preparations for ILS runway 9R, flaps 20 degree approach. Began descent over mississippi river and discussed the leveling at 10000 ft for speed reduction and adding power to right engine to see if we had power (as opposed to adding power for the first time at FAF only to have our hands full if engine did not power up). At 10000 ft, engine power-up seemed normal. Quantity was zero, pressure and temperature still good. Continued idle descent approach at flaps 20 degrees and added limited power to right engine around FAF. At that time, right engine oil pressure light flickered with momentary EICAS. Decided to keep right engine at idle (no in-flight shutdown). Added power again around 300 ft and experienced several right oil pressure light flickers, kept the right engine power at idle with normal flare and touchdown. Decided to try reverse thrust due to heavy landing weight (184000 pounds) and flaps 20 degree speed. Upon reaching reverse thrust, right engine oil pressure it, EICAS message and right engine oil pressure dropped well below 80 psi to the red line limit. Immediately came out of reverse, exited M6. Clear of runway, set brakes, ran rest of checklist and shut down right engine. Arff looked at engine, found no danger. We taxied to gate and requested tow-in due to heavy weight and concerns for exceeding breakaway thrust if we didn't have enough speed to make the turn. Debriefed with maintenance, made logbook entry and took a look for ourselves outside. Excellent CRM with captain, great help with dispatch and maintenance through commercial radio and good job from ord tower. Only minor concern was having to ask for lower altitude multiple times from msp and ord ctrs after declaring emergency and requesting constant idle descent. Other than that, felt everything worked out well. Side note: flight attendants briefed of situation early on. After declaring emergency, flight attendants given cabin advisory, no preparation. No PA to passenger until on the ground and fire trucks in view. Debriefed flight attendants, all were ok and said most passenger didn't give it a second thought. Also debriefed flight attendant and customer service supervisors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT CREW EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF OIL QUANTITY FOLLOWED BY A FLICKERING LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT, RESULTING IN AN EMER LNDG.

Narrative: AT FL370 OVER CYS NOTICED R ENG OIL QUANTITY AT 4 QUARTS, TEMP AND PRESSURE NORMAL, CONTINUED TO MONITOR. 10 MINS LATER QUANTITY WAS 3 QUARTS. CONTACTED MAINT AND DISPATCH, DISCUSSED SIT AND AGREED TO CONTINUE. 10-15 MINS LATER QUANTITY WAS 2 QUARTS. CALLED MAINT AND DISPATCH AGAIN TO DISCUSS DECREASING OIL QUANTITY RATE OF 1 QUART EVERY 10-15 MINS AND POSSIBLE DIVERSION TO DEN OR OMA. BEGAN READING AND DISCUSSING QUICK REF CARD, DRIFT-DOWN, IRREGULAR LOW OIL PRESSUR) AND IRREGULAR INFLT SHUTDOWN CHKLISTS. OIL QUANTITY EVENTUALLY DROPPED TO ZERO WITH TEMP AND PRESSURE STILL NORMAL. CONTINUED PER FLT MANUAL (ENG OIL SYS) AND PER MAINT. NOW OVER DSM, REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING FROM ATC AND DECLARED AN EMER. ADDITIONALLY REQUESTED TO MAINTAIN SPD AND ALT UNTIL LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT IN ORDER TO KEEP ENG CONDITIONS CONSTANT. DECIDED ORD WAS NOW THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT (CONSIDERING ALT AND TAILWIND) AND BEGAN PREPARATIONS FOR ILS RWY 9R, FLAPS 20 DEG APCH. BEGAN DSCNT OVER MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND DISCUSSED THE LEVELING AT 10000 FT FOR SPD REDUCTION AND ADDING PWR TO R ENG TO SEE IF WE HAD PWR (AS OPPOSED TO ADDING PWR FOR THE FIRST TIME AT FAF ONLY TO HAVE OUR HANDS FULL IF ENG DID NOT PWR UP). AT 10000 FT, ENG PWR-UP SEEMED NORMAL. QUANTITY WAS ZERO, PRESSURE AND TEMP STILL GOOD. CONTINUED IDLE DSCNT APCH AT FLAPS 20 DEGS AND ADDED LIMITED PWR TO R ENG AROUND FAF. AT THAT TIME, R ENG OIL PRESSURE LIGHT FLICKERED WITH MOMENTARY EICAS. DECIDED TO KEEP R ENG AT IDLE (NO INFLT SHUTDOWN). ADDED PWR AGAIN AROUND 300 FT AND EXPERIENCED SEVERAL R OIL PRESSURE LIGHT FLICKERS, KEPT THE R ENG PWR AT IDLE WITH NORMAL FLARE AND TOUCHDOWN. DECIDED TO TRY REVERSE THRUST DUE TO HVY LNDG WT (184000 LBS) AND FLAPS 20 DEG SPD. UPON REACHING REVERSE THRUST, R ENG OIL PRESSURE IT, EICAS MESSAGE AND R ENG OIL PRESSURE DROPPED WELL BELOW 80 PSI TO THE RED LINE LIMIT. IMMEDIATELY CAME OUT OF REVERSE, EXITED M6. CLR OF RWY, SET BRAKES, RAN REST OF CHKLIST AND SHUT DOWN R ENG. ARFF LOOKED AT ENG, FOUND NO DANGER. WE TAXIED TO GATE AND REQUESTED TOW-IN DUE TO HVY WT AND CONCERNS FOR EXCEEDING BREAKAWAY THRUST IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SPD TO MAKE THE TURN. DEBRIEFED WITH MAINT, MADE LOGBOOK ENTRY AND TOOK A LOOK FOR OURSELVES OUTSIDE. EXCELLENT CRM WITH CAPT, GREAT HELP WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT THROUGH COMMERCIAL RADIO AND GOOD JOB FROM ORD TWR. ONLY MINOR CONCERN WAS HAVING TO ASK FOR LOWER ALT MULTIPLE TIMES FROM MSP AND ORD CTRS AFTER DECLARING EMER AND REQUESTING CONSTANT IDLE DSCNT. OTHER THAN THAT, FELT EVERYTHING WORKED OUT WELL. SIDE NOTE: FLT ATTENDANTS BRIEFED OF SIT EARLY ON. AFTER DECLARING EMER, FLT ATTENDANTS GIVEN CABIN ADVISORY, NO PREPARATION. NO PA TO PAX UNTIL ON THE GND AND FIRE TRUCKS IN VIEW. DEBRIEFED FLT ATTENDANTS, ALL WERE OK AND SAID MOST PAX DIDN'T GIVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT. ALSO DEBRIEFED FLT ATTENDANT AND CUSTOMER SVC SUPVRS.

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.