Narrative:

After leveling off at 6000 ft and cruising for no more than 20 mins, I turned on the wing ice light and noticed that a fair amount of oil was streaking down the inboard cowling of my left engine. The oil pressure was still in the green as were all temperature gauges. The engine had just been top overhauled and had no more than 10 hours on it since then. Considering the poor WX and darkness, I decided to declare an emergency and requested vectors to the localizer runway 2 approach at dublin, GA. The controller was very helpful and landing took place within 15 mins of my first request for assistance. The controller also alerted local rescue authorities who arrived on the scene as I was taxiing in. The next morning I removed the left inboard cowling to see if I could tell what had happened. The leak appeared to be nothing more than a loose rocker box cover. There was no mechanic available at the field and my home base mechanic was unable to assist me. I decided to tighten the cover with a screwdriver I borrowed and then test run the engine to see if the leak would continue. The leak seemed to be slowing a great deal and all other engine surfaces were very dry and clean. I consulted with several other pilots on the field and decided to fly to athens, GA, as the WX had cleared to very good VFR. Upon reaching athens, a local a&P examined the engine and determined that it was just the rocker box cover. He resealed it and the leak completely dried up. I did not feel good about flying from dublin to athens. However, upon checking the oil that morning, I saw that very little had been lost. I added only a half quart before departure and during the flight very little was lost. I do not feel bad at all about declaring an emergency the night before. Considering the WX conditions and the fact that it was night, I felt it was the wise thing to do. Several pilots felt that I should have continued my flight without speaking with ATC. I disagree and encourage all pilots to do the same when in doubt about safety. ATC did not ask me to turn in any paperwork and did not seem to be irritated with my request for assistance. I don't think anything will ever come of that incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UPON DISCOVERY OF AN OIL LEAK, CPR SMA PLT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE.

Narrative: AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 6000 FT AND CRUISING FOR NO MORE THAN 20 MINS, I TURNED ON THE WING ICE LIGHT AND NOTICED THAT A FAIR AMOUNT OF OIL WAS STREAKING DOWN THE INBOARD COWLING OF MY L ENG. THE OIL PRESSURE WAS STILL IN THE GREEN AS WERE ALL TEMP GAUGES. THE ENG HAD JUST BEEN TOP OVERHAULED AND HAD NO MORE THAN 10 HRS ON IT SINCE THEN. CONSIDERING THE POOR WX AND DARKNESS, I DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE LOC RWY 2 APCH AT DUBLIN, GA. THE CTLR WAS VERY HELPFUL AND LNDG TOOK PLACE WITHIN 15 MINS OF MY FIRST REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. THE CTLR ALSO ALERTED LCL RESCUE AUTHORITIES WHO ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AS I WAS TAXIING IN. THE NEXT MORNING I REMOVED THE L INBOARD COWLING TO SEE IF I COULD TELL WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE LEAK APPEARED TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A LOOSE ROCKER BOX COVER. THERE WAS NO MECH AVAILABLE AT THE FIELD AND MY HOME BASE MECH WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST ME. I DECIDED TO TIGHTEN THE COVER WITH A SCREWDRIVER I BORROWED AND THEN TEST RUN THE ENG TO SEE IF THE LEAK WOULD CONTINUE. THE LEAK SEEMED TO BE SLOWING A GREAT DEAL AND ALL OTHER ENG SURFACES WERE VERY DRY AND CLEAN. I CONSULTED WITH SEVERAL OTHER PLTS ON THE FIELD AND DECIDED TO FLY TO ATHENS, GA, AS THE WX HAD CLRED TO VERY GOOD VFR. UPON REACHING ATHENS, A LCL A&P EXAMINED THE ENG AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS JUST THE ROCKER BOX COVER. HE RESEALED IT AND THE LEAK COMPLETELY DRIED UP. I DID NOT FEEL GOOD ABOUT FLYING FROM DUBLIN TO ATHENS. HOWEVER, UPON CHKING THE OIL THAT MORNING, I SAW THAT VERY LITTLE HAD BEEN LOST. I ADDED ONLY A HALF QUART BEFORE DEP AND DURING THE FLT VERY LITTLE WAS LOST. I DO NOT FEEL BAD AT ALL ABOUT DECLARING AN EMER THE NIGHT BEFORE. CONSIDERING THE WX CONDITIONS AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS NIGHT, I FELT IT WAS THE WISE THING TO DO. SEVERAL PLTS FELT THAT I SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED MY FLT WITHOUT SPEAKING WITH ATC. I DISAGREE AND ENCOURAGE ALL PLTS TO DO THE SAME WHEN IN DOUBT ABOUT SAFETY. ATC DID NOT ASK ME TO TURN IN ANY PAPERWORK AND DID NOT SEEM TO BE IRRITATED WITH MY REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE. I DON'T THINK ANYTHING WILL EVER COME OF THAT INCIDENT.

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.