PA32-300 aircraft. Reporter pilot induced oil leak -- forgot to replace oil dipstick after servicing...

Narrative:

On climb out, I noticed a small amount of oil streaming from the oil door/latch on the top left side of the cowling. The stream began to increase in flow, and I proceeded to turn the airplane around and return to skagway airport. Throughout the approach and landing, the oil flow increased and covered over 3/4 of the left front windshield by the time the airplane was shut down at the gate, though no problems were encountered landing or taxiing the plane. To my embarrassment and horror, I realized I had made a horrible blunder. During my preflight, I had checked the oil and saw it was at 8 quarts, 1 quart lower than the 9 quart minimum which is standard. I then went inside the office and retrieved a quart of oil and proceeded to the airplane. I lifted the latch on top of the cowling, removed the dipstick and placed it in the air induction scoop on the left front side of the airplane, while I poured the oil. I had done this many times before, finding it to be a convenient holder for the dipstick during the process. I then left the airplane to discard of the empty oil container and returned to the airplane to finish the preflight. However, I neglected to replace the dipstick back in place in the engine, and it remained in the induction scoop during takeoff. This accounted for the oil flowing from the cowling. I cleaned up the oil under the cowling, windshield and surrounding area. I then relatched the cowling, replaced the quart of oil to the required 9 quart level and replaced the dipstick with a new appropriate one (the original was never found). The fact that I had done that route so many times all summer long and was possibly getting complacent with my duties. Also, fatigue may have played a part in it as well. We fly long hours, 6 days a week and I have been on the early schedule a lot in the weeks leading up to this event. The WX had been marginal during the period which created an added stress to our long days. I will no longer be using the induction air scoop to store the dipstick. When it is out of sight, it seems to be more easily forgotten, or overlooked.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32-300 ACFT. RPTR PLT INDUCED OIL LEAK -- FORGOT TO REPLACE OIL DIPSTICK AFTER SERVICING OIL. OIL LEAKED OUT AFTER TKOF, RPTR RETURNED TO ARPT, FOUND PROB, CORRECTED AND CONTINUED.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT, I NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL STREAMING FROM THE OIL DOOR/LATCH ON THE TOP L SIDE OF THE COWLING. THE STREAM BEGAN TO INCREASE IN FLOW, AND I PROCEEDED TO TURN THE AIRPLANE AROUND AND RETURN TO SKAGWAY ARPT. THROUGHOUT THE APCH AND LNDG, THE OIL FLOW INCREASED AND COVERED OVER 3/4 OF THE L FRONT WINDSHIELD BY THE TIME THE AIRPLANE WAS SHUT DOWN AT THE GATE, THOUGH NO PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED LNDG OR TAXIING THE PLANE. TO MY EMBARRASSMENT AND HORROR, I REALIZED I HAD MADE A HORRIBLE BLUNDER. DURING MY PREFLT, I HAD CHKED THE OIL AND SAW IT WAS AT 8 QUARTS, 1 QUART LOWER THAN THE 9 QUART MINIMUM WHICH IS STANDARD. I THEN WENT INSIDE THE OFFICE AND RETRIEVED A QUART OF OIL AND PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPLANE. I LIFTED THE LATCH ON TOP OF THE COWLING, REMOVED THE DIPSTICK AND PLACED IT IN THE AIR INDUCTION SCOOP ON THE L FRONT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE, WHILE I POURED THE OIL. I HAD DONE THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE, FINDING IT TO BE A CONVENIENT HOLDER FOR THE DIPSTICK DURING THE PROCESS. I THEN LEFT THE AIRPLANE TO DISCARD OF THE EMPTY OIL CONTAINER AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE TO FINISH THE PREFLT. HOWEVER, I NEGLECTED TO REPLACE THE DIPSTICK BACK IN PLACE IN THE ENG, AND IT REMAINED IN THE INDUCTION SCOOP DURING TKOF. THIS ACCOUNTED FOR THE OIL FLOWING FROM THE COWLING. I CLEANED UP THE OIL UNDER THE COWLING, WINDSHIELD AND SURROUNDING AREA. I THEN RELATCHED THE COWLING, REPLACED THE QUART OF OIL TO THE REQUIRED 9 QUART LEVEL AND REPLACED THE DIPSTICK WITH A NEW APPROPRIATE ONE (THE ORIGINAL WAS NEVER FOUND). THE FACT THAT I HAD DONE THAT RTE SO MANY TIMES ALL SUMMER LONG AND WAS POSSIBLY GETTING COMPLACENT WITH MY DUTIES. ALSO, FATIGUE MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART IN IT AS WELL. WE FLY LONG HRS, 6 DAYS A WK AND I HAVE BEEN ON THE EARLY SCHEDULE A LOT IN THE WKS LEADING UP TO THIS EVENT. THE WX HAD BEEN MARGINAL DURING THE PERIOD WHICH CREATED AN ADDED STRESS TO OUR LONG DAYS. I WILL NO LONGER BE USING THE INDUCTION AIR SCOOP TO STORE THE DIPSTICK. WHEN IT IS OUT OF SIGHT, IT SEEMS TO BE MORE EASILY FORGOTTEN, OR OVERLOOKED.

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.

Attributes
ACN	346813
Time
Date	199609
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sgy
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 400 flight time total : 1180 flight time type : 550
ASRS Report	346813
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

PA32-300 aircraft. Reporter pilot induced oil leak -- forgot to replace oil dipstick after servicing oil. Oil leaked out after takeoff, reporter returned to airport, found problem, corrected and continued.