Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Maintenance Action; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft
We performed a run-up and determined that the airplane was safe for its first flight of the day. We ran all appropriate checklists and took off without incident. Climbing through 22;000 FT the Master Warning flasher illuminated with no associated annunciator. Approximately 10 seconds later; the Right Oil Pressure Low annunciator illuminated along with oil pressure and torque gauge fluctuations. The engine performance was rapidly decreasing and we elected to shut the engine down in flight; as the checklist required us to do. We secured the right engine; made a right turn back to [departure] airport; declared an emergency and began a slow descent. In the descent; we got updated weather; ran all appropriate checklists; and coordinated Crash; Fire; Rescue Operations with Air Traffic Control. We were cleared for the visual approach and landed without further incident. After the airplane was brought to a complete stop; we shut down the running (left) engine and were towed off the runway back to the maintenance hangar.
[No new information]
B1900 flight crew reported low oil pressure in right engine climbing through FL220. Engine was shut down; an emergency declared; and a return to departure airport was safely executed.