Narrative:

I had taken off from abq, climbing out VFR to destination. About 2000 ft AGL on climb out, I noticed my oil pressure dropping. It was down to 25 psi from its normal 55 psi and was slowly continuing to drop. I was talking to abq departure, and told them I needed to return to the apt due to oil pressure loss. They asked if I needed the equipment and I declined. Departure switched me back to tower. I do not know if the tower controller was informed by departure control of my low oil pressure situation. The tower controller told me to follow a B737 on a 6 mi final to runway 3, and to report when I had the B737 in sight. I sighted and reported contact on the B737, and at that point, I was told to follow him on a visual approach to runway 3. I also heard, I thought, that I was cleared to land behind the B737. So I followed him, and when he cleared the runway, I was on approximately a 2 mi extended right base. I turned final and when I reduced the power to land, the oil pressure dropped almost to zero, maybe holding 5 psi. I then landed. During my landing rollout, the tower controller called me and asked if I was ready to turn base leg. I replied that I was already on the runway rolling out, and that I had been cleared to land. After a pause, the tower told me to turn left at the next taxiway and contact ground control, which I did. Ground cleared me to taxi to the ramp. There was never a request by the tower to call them on the phone, and I never heard anything more about the incident. There was never even a remote possibility of a conflict with the B737 or with any other traffic in the area at that time. In hindsight, I still believe I heard the tower clear me to land. However, I cannot prove that without access to the tower recordings. It is possible that in my haste to land as I was concerned about having an imminent engine failure, that I heard what I wanted to hear -- I may never know.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C180 DEP FROM ABQ, EXPERIENCED MECHANICAL PROB, RETURNS AND MAY HAVE LWOC.

Narrative: I HAD TAKEN OFF FROM ABQ, CLBING OUT VFR TO DEST. ABOUT 2000 FT AGL ON CLBOUT, I NOTICED MY OIL PRESSURE DROPPING. IT WAS DOWN TO 25 PSI FROM ITS NORMAL 55 PSI AND WAS SLOWLY CONTINUING TO DROP. I WAS TALKING TO ABQ DEP, AND TOLD THEM I NEEDED TO RETURN TO THE APT DUE TO OIL PRESSURE LOSS. THEY ASKED IF I NEEDED THE EQUIP AND I DECLINED. DEP SWITCHED ME BACK TO TWR. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE TWR CTLR WAS INFORMED BY DEP CTL OF MY LOW OIL PRESSURE SIT. THE TWR CTLR TOLD ME TO FOLLOW A B737 ON A 6 MI FINAL TO RWY 3, AND TO RPT WHEN I HAD THE B737 IN SIGHT. I SIGHTED AND RPTED CONTACT ON THE B737, AND AT THAT POINT, I WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW HIM ON A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 3. I ALSO HEARD, I THOUGHT, THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND BEHIND THE B737. SO I FOLLOWED HIM, AND WHEN HE CLRED THE RWY, I WAS ON APPROX A 2 MI EXTENDED R BASE. I TURNED FINAL AND WHEN I REDUCED THE PWR TO LAND, THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED ALMOST TO ZERO, MAYBE HOLDING 5 PSI. I THEN LANDED. DURING MY LNDG ROLLOUT, THE TWR CTLR CALLED ME AND ASKED IF I WAS READY TO TURN BASE LEG. I REPLIED THAT I WAS ALREADY ON THE RWY ROLLING OUT, AND THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND. AFTER A PAUSE, THE TWR TOLD ME TO TURN L AT THE NEXT TXWY AND CONTACT GND CTL, WHICH I DID. GND CLRED ME TO TAXI TO THE RAMP. THERE WAS NEVER A REQUEST BY THE TWR TO CALL THEM ON THE PHONE, AND I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THERE WAS NEVER EVEN A REMOTE POSSIBILITY OF A CONFLICT WITH THE B737 OR WITH ANY OTHER TFC IN THE AREA AT THAT TIME. IN HINDSIGHT, I STILL BELIEVE I HEARD THE TWR CLR ME TO LAND. HOWEVER, I CANNOT PROVE THAT WITHOUT ACCESS TO THE TWR RECORDINGS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IN MY HASTE TO LAND AS I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING AN IMMINENT ENG FAILURE, THAT I HEARD WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR -- I MAY NEVER KNOW.

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.