Oil filler cap not secured before flight, causes return to landing.

Attributes
ACN	113583
Time
Date	198906
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	113583
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During climbout oil was observed streaming from right engine in the area of cowl oil access panel. Panel was secure. Engine power was reduced and pilot requested permission to return to airport. Airplane was landed at airport without problems. Plane was pulled over at nearest available runup area and pilot exited to investigate. Oil filler cap was not in place. Oil lost was approximately a quart. Short flight was continued since oil was still in operating range. Only damage was to pilot's ego. What a disaster this event could have been. When reviewing the events prior to the mishap I found that I had preflted the aircraft before being services. Corrective action is to preflight after servicing. At least a modified preflight to check those items which could be affected by servicing. Contributing factors were my rush to preflight in order to study airport charts. This was my first flight into O'hare. This did payoff however when I asked to return to the airport. Knowing the airport allowed me to request an unused runway which helped expedite my return. A contributing factors was untrained line service. The line person must not have known much about my small aircraft. The aircraft did not require oil and therefore the filler cap should not have been removed. The small aircraft dipstick is on the inboard side of each engine. This is perhaps the cheapest lesson I will ever learn.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OIL FILLER CAP NOT SECURED BEFORE FLT, CAUSES RETURN TO LNDG.

Narrative: DURING CLIMBOUT OIL WAS OBSERVED STREAMING FROM RIGHT ENGINE IN THE AREA OF COWL OIL ACCESS PANEL. PANEL WAS SECURE. ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED AND PLT REQUESTED PERMISSION TO RETURN TO ARPT. AIRPLANE WAS LANDED AT ARPT WITHOUT PROBLEMS. PLANE WAS PULLED OVER AT NEAREST AVAILABLE RUNUP AREA AND PLT EXITED TO INVESTIGATE. OIL FILLER CAP WAS NOT IN PLACE. OIL LOST WAS APPROX A QUART. SHORT FLT WAS CONTINUED SINCE OIL WAS STILL IN OPERATING RANGE. ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO PLT'S EGO. WHAT A DISASTER THIS EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN. WHEN REVIEWING THE EVENTS PRIOR TO THE MISHAP I FOUND THAT I HAD PREFLTED THE ACFT BEFORE BEING SERVICES. CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TO PREFLT AFTER SERVICING. AT LEAST A MODIFIED PREFLT TO CHECK THOSE ITEMS WHICH COULD BE AFFECTED BY SERVICING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE MY RUSH TO PREFLT IN ORDER TO STUDY ARPT CHARTS. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT INTO O'HARE. THIS DID PAYOFF HOWEVER WHEN I ASKED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. KNOWING THE ARPT ALLOWED ME TO REQUEST AN UNUSED RWY WHICH HELPED EXPEDITE MY RETURN. A CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WAS UNTRAINED LINE SERVICE. THE LINE PERSON MUST NOT HAVE KNOWN MUCH ABOUT MY SMA. THE ACFT DID NOT REQUIRE OIL AND THEREFORE THE FILLER CAP SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REMOVED. THE SMA DIPSTICK IS ON THE INBOARD SIDE OF EACH ENGINE. THIS IS PERHAPS THE CHEAPEST LESSON I WILL EVER LEARN.

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.