Instructor pilot report regarding emergency landing due to oil line not connected properly.

Attributes
ACN	335505
Time
Date	199605
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 0s8
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lga
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 440 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	335505
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

An airplane was scheduled for a flight at XX30. At XY00 when we went to preflight the plane we found it in the maintenance hangar with the cowling off. A mechanic #2 working on another plane said mechanic #1 had left part way through an oil change 45 mins prior. Mechanic #2 stated he did not want to finish the job because he did not want to assume what mechanic #1 had or hadn't done. The owner however, stated it was an oil change and mechanic #2 should just finish it. Mechanic #2 finished it after receiving a message from #1 that it was just an oil change, and then performed a run-up to check for oil leaks. After this he said the plane was ready to go. My student and I departed on our cross country flight after an uneventful run-up. Approximately 5 mins into the flight while the student was opening the flight plan, I noticed oil on the windshield and the cowling. I immediately canceled the flight plan and notified the FSS we were returning to the departure airport for a precautionary landing due to a major oil leak. At this time the engine still had oil pressure. I called the departure airport and stated we were returning to the airport for a precautionary landing because of an oil leak. I then looked at the oil pressure again and it was at zero. I made another call to the departure airport and stated that we had lost oil pressure and would be landing at port orchard which is a private closed airport. After maneuvering to avoid debris and potholes on the runway during and after touchdowns, I shut the aircraft down. It was then discovered that a line to the oil cooler had not been properly tightened and all of the engine oil had leaked out. I feel the lack of proper communication between mechanics and lack of checking the tightness of all oil-related fittings is what caused this occurrence. Another contributing factor was the insistence by the owner that mechanic #2 finish the job even though he did not want to.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT RPT REGARDING EMER LNDG DUE TO OIL LINE NOT CONNECTED PROPERLY.

Narrative: AN AIRPLANE WAS SCHEDULED FOR A FLT AT XX30. AT XY00 WHEN WE WENT TO PREFLT THE PLANE WE FOUND IT IN THE MAINT HANGAR WITH THE COWLING OFF. A MECH #2 WORKING ON ANOTHER PLANE SAID MECH #1 HAD LEFT PART WAY THROUGH AN OIL CHANGE 45 MINS PRIOR. MECH #2 STATED HE DID NOT WANT TO FINISH THE JOB BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO ASSUME WHAT MECH #1 HAD OR HADN'T DONE. THE OWNER HOWEVER, STATED IT WAS AN OIL CHANGE AND MECH #2 SHOULD JUST FINISH IT. MECH #2 FINISHED IT AFTER RECEIVING A MESSAGE FROM #1 THAT IT WAS JUST AN OIL CHANGE, AND THEN PERFORMED A RUN-UP TO CHK FOR OIL LEAKS. AFTER THIS HE SAID THE PLANE WAS READY TO GO. MY STUDENT AND I DEPARTED ON OUR XCOUNTRY FLT AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL RUN-UP. APPROX 5 MINS INTO THE FLT WHILE THE STUDENT WAS OPENING THE FLT PLAN, I NOTICED OIL ON THE WINDSHIELD AND THE COWLING. I IMMEDIATELY CANCELED THE FLT PLAN AND NOTIFIED THE FSS WE WERE RETURNING TO THE DEP ARPT FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG DUE TO A MAJOR OIL LEAK. AT THIS TIME THE ENG STILL HAD OIL PRESSURE. I CALLED THE DEP ARPT AND STATED WE WERE RETURNING TO THE ARPT FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG BECAUSE OF AN OIL LEAK. I THEN LOOKED AT THE OIL PRESSURE AGAIN AND IT WAS AT ZERO. I MADE ANOTHER CALL TO THE DEP ARPT AND STATED THAT WE HAD LOST OIL PRESSURE AND WOULD BE LNDG AT PORT ORCHARD WHICH IS A PVT CLOSED ARPT. AFTER MANEUVERING TO AVOID DEBRIS AND POTHOLES ON THE RWY DURING AND AFTER TOUCHDOWNS, I SHUT THE ACFT DOWN. IT WAS THEN DISCOVERED THAT A LINE TO THE OIL COOLER HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY TIGHTENED AND ALL OF THE ENG OIL HAD LEAKED OUT. I FEEL THE LACK OF PROPER COM BTWN MECHS AND LACK OF CHKING THE TIGHTNESS OF ALL OIL-RELATED FITTINGS IS WHAT CAUSED THIS OCCURRENCE. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE INSISTENCE BY THE OWNER THAT MECH #2 FINISH THE JOB EVEN THOUGH HE DID NOT WANT TO.

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.