Narrative:

Preflight, ground operations, and takeoff all normal at iad. The aircraft was being flown by the first officer. On climbout a passenger reported apparent oil streaming from the #2 engine. Visual inspection by the first officer, as well as a decreasing oil quantity reading, confirmed some form of oil loss. Level off was made at FL250. 1.5 gals of oil remained on the gauge. The #2 engine was retarded to idle and oil loss slowed but did continue. Flight control dispatcher was notified of the flight to atlanta of approximately 300 NM was dismissed as an option as the oil quantity had decreased to just over 1 gal. Richmond was considered the best diversion choice due to its proximity (120 NM) and VFR WX. The flight turned toward richmond and an emergency was declared. The captain completed all applicable checklists and made a PA concerning our situation and intentions to the passenger. A face-to-face briefing was conducted with the a-line flight attendant and he, in turn, briefed the passenger on potential evacuate/evacuation procedures. The captain took control of the aircraft at 54 DME from richmond and 18,200'. The captain elected to execute an approach with the #2 engine at idle power. Emergency equipment was coordinated with richmond approach. The approach to runway 34 and 15 degree flap landing were uneventful. On rollout at approximately 100 KIAS an abrupt swerve was initiated by the captain to avoid a white 5 gal container situated on the white runway centerline. Later we discovered this to be a 5 gal, 40 pound, fire fighting foam container that fell off the back of an emergency vehicle responding to our situation. Discussion with rescue personnel indicated a bungee cord broke as the vehicle entered the runway and the container departed the truck. The aircraft was taxied uneventfully to the gate where we were met by stations personnel, rescue, and the FAA. As air carrier a maintenance opened the engine cowling, everyone present noticed the oil cap to be missing. No warning lights illuminated during flight, oil pressure remained normal, nor was the engine ever shut down in flight. The aircraft was serviced at richmond, a new oil cap was installed, and the flight continued uneventfully to atlanta. Oil servicing was noted in the aircraft logbook by an air carrier B mechanic at iad.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING CLIMB FLT CREW NOTICED LOSS OF OIL QUANTITY IN #2 ENGINE. DIVERTED AND LANDED.

Narrative: PREFLT, GND OPS, AND TKOF ALL NORMAL AT IAD. THE ACFT WAS BEING FLOWN BY THE F/O. ON CLIMBOUT A PAX REPORTED APPARENT OIL STREAMING FROM THE #2 ENGINE. VISUAL INSPECTION BY THE F/O, AS WELL AS A DECREASING OIL QUANTITY READING, CONFIRMED SOME FORM OF OIL LOSS. LEVEL OFF WAS MADE AT FL250. 1.5 GALS OF OIL REMAINED ON THE GAUGE. THE #2 ENGINE WAS RETARDED TO IDLE AND OIL LOSS SLOWED BUT DID CONTINUE. FLT CONTROL DISPATCHER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FLT TO ATLANTA OF APPROX 300 NM WAS DISMISSED AS AN OPTION AS THE OIL QUANTITY HAD DECREASED TO JUST OVER 1 GAL. RICHMOND WAS CONSIDERED THE BEST DIVERSION CHOICE DUE TO ITS PROX (120 NM) AND VFR WX. THE FLT TURNED TOWARD RICHMOND AND AN EMER WAS DECLARED. THE CAPT COMPLETED ALL APPLICABLE CHECKLISTS AND MADE A PA CONCERNING OUR SITUATION AND INTENTIONS TO THE PAX. A FACE-TO-FACE BRIEFING WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE A-LINE FLT ATTENDANT AND HE, IN TURN, BRIEFED THE PAX ON POTENTIAL EVAC PROCS. THE CAPT TOOK CONTROL OF THE ACFT AT 54 DME FROM RICHMOND AND 18,200'. THE CAPT ELECTED TO EXECUTE AN APCH WITH THE #2 ENGINE AT IDLE POWER. EMER EQUIPMENT WAS COORDINATED WITH RICHMOND APCH. THE APCH TO RWY 34 AND 15 DEG FLAP LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. ON ROLLOUT AT APPROX 100 KIAS AN ABRUPT SWERVE WAS INITIATED BY THE CAPT TO AVOID A WHITE 5 GAL CONTAINER SITUATED ON THE WHITE RWY CENTERLINE. LATER WE DISCOVERED THIS TO BE A 5 GAL, 40 LB, FIRE FIGHTING FOAM CONTAINER THAT FELL OFF THE BACK OF AN EMER VEHICLE RESPONDING TO OUR SITUATION. DISCUSSION WITH RESCUE PERSONNEL INDICATED A BUNGEE CORD BROKE AS THE VEHICLE ENTERED THE RWY AND THE CONTAINER DEPARTED THE TRUCK. THE ACFT WAS TAXIED UNEVENTFULLY TO THE GATE WHERE WE WERE MET BY STATIONS PERSONNEL, RESCUE, AND THE FAA. AS ACR A MAINT OPENED THE ENGINE COWLING, EVERYONE PRESENT NOTICED THE OIL CAP TO BE MISSING. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED DURING FLT, OIL PRESSURE REMAINED NORMAL, NOR WAS THE ENGINE EVER SHUT DOWN IN FLT. THE ACFT WAS SERVICED AT RICHMOND, A NEW OIL CAP WAS INSTALLED, AND THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO ATLANTA. OIL SERVICING WAS NOTED IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK BY AN ACR B MECHANIC AT IAD.

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.