GA small aircraft lost engine oil at TOC. Instructor pilot returned to departure airport.

Attributes
ACN	89249
Time
Date	198806
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ccr
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : suu tower : ccr
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3500
ASRS Report	89249
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

Normal day (VFR) performed normal preflight. Flight was intended to recertify another pilot. Left davis university airport, ca, and proceeded to buchanan field. Aircraft had just come out of 100 hour inspection. Departed concord. Leveled off 3500'. Contacted travis approach for radar service. Student initiated cruise checklist. I watched as she continued to run the checklist. When the propeller control was retarded for desired RPM, the propeller raced out of control. Mp was reduced and an attempt to regain some control on propeller with propeller control. The attempt was ineffective. The oil pressure gauge was just reaching 0. Oil temperature was normal. I contacted travis approach and informed them of engine trouble and would need to land on the air base (I declared an emergency). I reassessed distance and wind conditions and decided on concord as best choice, informed travis of my intentions and turned back toward concord, setting up my glide with engine still running. Approximately 2 mins passed and I extended the landing gear. Approximately 30 seconds later the engine began to shudder violently so I shut down the engine. I was instructed to contact concord tower. Continued glide to normal (uneventful) landing. Later the firemen and a mechanic told me they detected a finger tight line connector on the oil cooler line.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST ENGINE OIL AT TOC. INSTRUCTOR PLT RETURNED TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: NORMAL DAY (VFR) PERFORMED NORMAL PREFLT. FLT WAS INTENDED TO RECERTIFY ANOTHER PLT. LEFT DAVIS UNIVERSITY ARPT, CA, AND PROCEEDED TO BUCHANAN FIELD. ACFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF 100 HR INSPECTION. DEPARTED CONCORD. LEVELED OFF 3500'. CONTACTED TRAVIS APCH FOR RADAR SVC. STUDENT INITIATED CRUISE CHKLIST. I WATCHED AS SHE CONTINUED TO RUN THE CHKLIST. WHEN THE PROP CTL WAS RETARDED FOR DESIRED RPM, THE PROP RACED OUT OF CTL. MP WAS REDUCED AND AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN SOME CTL ON PROP WITH PROP CTL. THE ATTEMPT WAS INEFFECTIVE. THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS JUST REACHING 0. OIL TEMP WAS NORMAL. I CONTACTED TRAVIS APCH AND INFORMED THEM OF ENG TROUBLE AND WOULD NEED TO LAND ON THE AIR BASE (I DECLARED AN EMER). I REASSESSED DISTANCE AND WIND CONDITIONS AND DECIDED ON CONCORD AS BEST CHOICE, INFORMED TRAVIS OF MY INTENTIONS AND TURNED BACK TOWARD CONCORD, SETTING UP MY GLIDE WITH ENG STILL RUNNING. APPROX 2 MINS PASSED AND I EXTENDED THE LNDG GEAR. APPROX 30 SECS LATER THE ENG BEGAN TO SHUDDER VIOLENTLY SO I SHUT DOWN THE ENG. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT CONCORD TWR. CONTINUED GLIDE TO NORMAL (UNEVENTFUL) LNDG. LATER THE FIREMEN AND A MECH TOLD ME THEY DETECTED A FINGER TIGHT LINE CONNECTOR ON THE OIL COOLER LINE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.