Citation II/SP (C551)
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 6100; Flight Crew Type 3348
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic; Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors
Departed on IFR flight. Climbing through 16;000 ft MSL; low oil pressure annunciator on left engine came on. Pressure tape started dropping. I immediately started a 180 turn back; notified ATC; but did not declare an emergency. ATC gave me vectors after I already turned back. As I joined the vector route; I came within 4.9 miles of another aircraft who was #1 for landing; I was #2. If I would have declared emergency; ATC would have cleared me #1 for landing. I secured the left engine and proceeded with a single engine approach and landing. Cause of loss of oil pressure was a dipstick that popped off during flight. I added oil and proceeded to depart. Before departing; I called Center at their request.Single pilot; there was a lot to do. Aviate first; communicate second. Still; I should have declared an emergency when requesting return. However; left engine oil pressure tape was still in green. When it dropped to red I should have advised ATC and declared.
CE551 pilot reported low oil pressure on an engine during climbout and elected to return to the departure airport prior to obtaining ATC clearance.