Air carrier medium large transport diverts to land at alternate as oil loss is noted on #2 engine.

Attributes
ACN	146184
Time
Date	199005
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hto
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	146184
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Approximately pm:00Z, at cruise altitude FL310 I noticed #1 engine oil quantity at 15.5 quarts and #2 engine at 11.5 quarts. (Before departure they indicated equal). The first officer and I began to monitor the oil loss of #2 engine and found a 1 quart loss every 4 mins. Following standard operating procedures, I called for an appropriate checklist in our cockpit operating manual to be accomplished. There was no specific checklist for engine oil quantity loss or for low oil quantity. The first officer then called our company dispatch and maintenance control for assistance. At this same time our lead F/a, came into the cockpit and I briefed her of the situation, I told her to brief the other F/a's and that a possible landing at jfk airport may occur. Flying the airplane and talking to ny center I requested FL200. I explained the situation to center. By descending we hoped to minimize oil loss by reducing power on #2 engine to idle. When the oil quantity reached 9.5 quarts, I declared an emergency and requested clearance to jfk (with emergency equipment). At this point the first officer completed his conversation with dispatch and maintenance control and advised me dispatch requested we land at jfk. He also noted that maintenance advised us to shutdown #2 engine when and if the oil quantity reached 4 quarts. Based on the rate of oil loss we believed a landing at jfk could be made west/O shutting down the engine. We completed all checklists and notified the F/as and passengers that a jfk landing would be made. Approximately pm plus 25Z we were cleared for an ILS approach to runway 4L at jfk. Crossing the OM we were confign for a 2 engine landing. About 1000' AGL we shut down #2 engine as the oil quantity reached 4 quarts. We reconfigured to a 1 engine landing. I landed at pm:30 turned off and completed the engine shut down checklist. Emergency equipment not used. Maintenance at jfk found a cracked oil line on #2 engine.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DIVERTS TO LAND AT ALTERNATE AS OIL LOSS IS NOTED ON #2 ENGINE.

Narrative: APPROX PM:00Z, AT CRUISE ALT FL310 I NOTICED #1 ENG OIL QUANTITY AT 15.5 QUARTS AND #2 ENG AT 11.5 QUARTS. (BEFORE DEP THEY INDICATED EQUAL). THE F/O AND I BEGAN TO MONITOR THE OIL LOSS OF #2 ENG AND FOUND A 1 QUART LOSS EVERY 4 MINS. FOLLOWING STANDARD OPERATING PROCS, I CALLED FOR AN APPROPRIATE CHKLIST IN OUR COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC CHKLIST FOR ENG OIL QUANTITY LOSS OR FOR LOW OIL QUANTITY. THE F/O THEN CALLED OUR COMPANY DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL FOR ASSISTANCE. AT THIS SAME TIME OUR LEAD F/A, CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND I BRIEFED HER OF THE SITUATION, I TOLD HER TO BRIEF THE OTHER F/A'S AND THAT A POSSIBLE LNDG AT JFK ARPT MAY OCCUR. FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND TALKING TO NY CTR I REQUESTED FL200. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO CTR. BY DSNDING WE HOPED TO MINIMIZE OIL LOSS BY REDUCING PWR ON #2 ENG TO IDLE. WHEN THE OIL QUANTITY REACHED 9.5 QUARTS, I DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED CLRNC TO JFK (WITH EMER EQUIP). AT THIS POINT THE F/O COMPLETED HIS CONVERSATION WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL AND ADVISED ME DISPATCH REQUESTED WE LAND AT JFK. HE ALSO NOTED THAT MAINT ADVISED US TO SHUTDOWN #2 ENG WHEN AND IF THE OIL QUANTITY REACHED 4 QUARTS. BASED ON THE RATE OF OIL LOSS WE BELIEVED A LNDG AT JFK COULD BE MADE W/O SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG. WE COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS AND NOTIFIED THE F/AS AND PAXS THAT A JFK LNDG WOULD BE MADE. APPROX PM PLUS 25Z WE WERE CLRED FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 4L AT JFK. XING THE OM WE WERE CONFIGN FOR A 2 ENG LNDG. ABOUT 1000' AGL WE SHUT DOWN #2 ENG AS THE OIL QUANTITY REACHED 4 QUARTS. WE RECONFIGURED TO A 1 ENG LNDG. I LANDED AT PM:30 TURNED OFF AND COMPLETED THE ENG SHUT DOWN CHKLIST. EMER EQUIP NOT USED. MAINT AT JFK FOUND A CRACKED OIL LINE ON #2 ENG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.