Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 2 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 165; Flight Crew Total 3460; Flight Crew Type 380
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Aircraft
I departed IFR with two passengers on board. It was my second leg of the day in the aircraft. All engine indication[s] were within proper parameters on the previous leg. I performed an engine runup before departure - all engine indications were; once again; reading properly. I picked up my IFR flight plan in the air from Center; and was cleared to climb to 8;000 feet and proceed direct VOR. Once again; engine gauges were reading correctly. Climbing through 7;000 feet; one of the passengers informed me that they had forgotten a piece of luggage. I called Center to request direct to [departure airport]; which the controller gave me; and then cleared me to descend. I then started to reduce throttle for descent; glanced over to the engine instruments; and noticed the oil pressure had dropped below redline on the right engine. There were no vibrations or signs of engine roughness; and the other engine readings; including oil temperature; cylinder head temperature and exhaust gas temperature all read within normal parameters. My first inclination was that the oil temperature reading was in error; but I proceeded to reduce power on the right engine as a precautionary measure. I reached 5000 feet MSL about 15 miles west of [departure airport] when the right engine suddenly shuddered and started to vibrate violently. I immediately ran my engine shutdown checklist and secured the right engine. I then proceeded to inform Center that I had an engine failure; and that I wanted to perform a visual approach into [departure airport]. I was cleared down to minimum vectoring altitude for the area; 2800 feet; and acquired visual contact with the airport about 8 miles out. I entered the left traffic pattern for runway; and successfully landed with a single engine operative. I then cleared the runway onto the tarmac; and shut down my operative engine.Looking back; the only decision I made during the occurrence that I probably would have done differently would have been to perform a precautionary engine shutdown at the first sign of loss of oil pressure. At the time; I considered it reasonable that the oil indication was in error given the lack of any other sign of engine trouble. I believed that simply reducing the throttle until I made it back to the departure airport would have helped protect the engine just in case of any engine trouble; but it is clear after the fact that it was not sufficient.
Charter pilot reported he shut down the right engine in flight and returned to departure airport.