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A319 captain reported that a visible engine oil leak was initially dismissed as an oil consumption issue by maintenance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1501864 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201711 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601-1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Powerplant Lubrication System |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Captain |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Maintenance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
Upon noticing an oil leak on the number two engine; I spoke with [maintenance]. [They] seemed to be focusing on consumption; not leaking; and mentioned 16 quarts of consumption since [a previous date]; a reference point which had no bearing on the current situation - a leak on the ground. After continued conversation with [maintenance] and [operations]; we agreed to; and I conducted; an engine run. Subsequent to the engine run; the contract maintenance technician; found an oil leak on the gearbox.my concerns revolve around [maintenance's] dismissive approach to an oil leak and; prior to the engine run that I insisted upon; that there was no reason I shouldn't accept the airplane as airworthy. In fact there were 16 quarts of oil added to the engine in 105 hours of operation. Since only a minority of us have the benefit of aircraft mechanic certification as I do; I fear that another captain might accept the pressure and dismissal of maintenance.it is imperative that for a legal operation and the highest level of safety that we create steps to correct these kinds of events with a high potential of un-airworthy aircraft utilized in the operation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A319 Captain reported that a visible engine oil leak was initially dismissed as an oil consumption issue by Maintenance.
Narrative: Upon noticing an oil leak on the number two engine; I spoke with [Maintenance]. [They] seemed to be focusing on consumption; not leaking; and mentioned 16 quarts of consumption since [a previous date]; a reference point which had no bearing on the current situation - a leak on the ground. After continued conversation with [Maintenance] and [Operations]; we agreed to; and I conducted; an engine run. Subsequent to the engine run; the contract Maintenance Technician; found an oil leak on the gearbox.My concerns revolve around [Maintenance's] dismissive approach to an oil leak and; prior to the engine run that I insisted upon; that there was no reason I shouldn't accept the airplane as airworthy. In fact there were 16 quarts of oil added to the engine in 105 hours of operation. Since only a minority of us have the benefit of aircraft mechanic certification as I do; I fear that another Captain might accept the pressure and dismissal of maintenance.It is imperative that for a legal operation and the highest level of safety that we create steps to correct these kinds of events with a high potential of un-airworthy aircraft utilized in the operation.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.