Dash 8-300
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft; Human Factors
Just after reaching cruising altitude; and before reducing condition levers to 900; the First Officer asked me to look at the Number 2 Engine oil pressure. I observed it was fluctuating from 0-35 and elected to shut the engine down. An emergency was declared; all appropriate checklists completed; and we landed the aircraft. No real suggestions here- but I do suggest a change to the Emergency Checklist. The end of the Single Engine Before Landing Checklist includes a bunch of notes; but just above the notes the last checklist item is 'Configuration to go .... Aural'. It is muscle memory for pilots to read 'Configuration to go' on our normal checklist; then stow the checklists. This occurred as well during our issue; and we did not brief the notes. The First Officer and I caught the issue; but specifically one of the notes states that the PTU must be turned on if the Number 2 Engine is the inoperative engine. There is also a note about Flap Power caution lights. I believe those notes should be highlighted or turned into a checklist item. Maybe just before the 'configuration to go' we add something about 'configuration considerations'?
DHC8-300 Captain experiences fluctuating oil pressure after reaching cruise and elects to shut the engine down and return to the departure airport. Some notes on the Single Engine Before Landing Checklist are overlooked due to the way the checklist is designed.