Narrative:

Upon arrival at the gate at charleston, wv, oil in the #2 engine had decreased to 2 gals. Inspected #2 engine and found oil puddling underneath. I then opened the engine oil service panel and found the oil cap off. The #2 engine had just been svced in pit with 6 quarts of oil. I then went inside and called B737-200 maintenance control in pit. Mr X answered the call and I told him that we had depleted #2 engine oil down to 2 gals and that I had opened the oil service panel up and found the oil service cap off. He asked again about the quantity remaining and I told him that it showed 2 gals on the cockpit gauge. He then asked if I put the cap back on and I told him that I had. He told me he would call out contract main. I also told him I had put the oil filler cap back over the hole, but did not secure it. I did this for 2 reasons: one, I wanted to at least cover the open air access into the oil holding tank thereby possibly ensuring moisture could not contaminate the oil system. The gate agent that met our flight told me it could take up to 3 hours for the maintenance personnel to arrive. And two, by leaving the cap loose this ensured that our contract personnel would find the engine basically as I found it allowing him to determine himself what caused the loss of approximately 8 quarts of oil. I know all maintenance personnel must be comfortable and satisfied with signing off a write-up, and the more information they find first hand only reinforces their decisions and actions. I questioned the possibility that the write-off in the action column of the logbook could be taken as inconclusive to someone just reviewing the logbook who was never involved with the situation. I did not write up that I had found the engine oil cap off, therefore, it must state clearly in the action column that it was found off, or it needed to be reinstalled, which was the terminology our contract maintenance person used. This is why I was satisfied with the action write-off. But to an outsider, reinstalled could possibly mean our contract maintenance personnel secured the cap after scving the engine oil, not that he found it unsecured and reinstalled it after servicing the engine with oil. Any sign-off I can recall concerning engine oil service performed by maintenance personnel has simply stated, 'svced #2 engine oil' in the action column. I've never seen any mention of the oil filler cap.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR WORRIES THAT HIS ACTIONS REGARDING REINSTALLING A FORGOTTEN OIL FILTER CAP MIGHT BE MISCONSTRUED.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT THE GATE AT CHARLESTON, WV, OIL IN THE #2 ENG HAD DECREASED TO 2 GALS. INSPECTED #2 ENG AND FOUND OIL PUDDLING UNDERNEATH. I THEN OPENED THE ENG OIL SVC PANEL AND FOUND THE OIL CAP OFF. THE #2 ENG HAD JUST BEEN SVCED IN PIT WITH 6 QUARTS OF OIL. I THEN WENT INSIDE AND CALLED B737-200 MAINT CTL IN PIT. MR X ANSWERED THE CALL AND I TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD DEPLETED #2 ENG OIL DOWN TO 2 GALS AND THAT I HAD OPENED THE OIL SVC PANEL UP AND FOUND THE OIL SVC CAP OFF. HE ASKED AGAIN ABOUT THE QUANTITY REMAINING AND I TOLD HIM THAT IT SHOWED 2 GALS ON THE COCKPIT GAUGE. HE THEN ASKED IF I PUT THE CAP BACK ON AND I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD CALL OUT CONTRACT MAIN. I ALSO TOLD HIM I HAD PUT THE OIL FILLER CAP BACK OVER THE HOLE, BUT DID NOT SECURE IT. I DID THIS FOR 2 REASONS: ONE, I WANTED TO AT LEAST COVER THE OPEN AIR ACCESS INTO THE OIL HOLDING TANK THEREBY POSSIBLY ENSURING MOISTURE COULD NOT CONTAMINATE THE OIL SYS. THE GATE AGENT THAT MET OUR FLT TOLD ME IT COULD TAKE UP TO 3 HRS FOR THE MAINT PERSONNEL TO ARRIVE. AND TWO, BY LEAVING THE CAP LOOSE THIS ENSURED THAT OUR CONTRACT PERSONNEL WOULD FIND THE ENG BASICALLY AS I FOUND IT ALLOWING HIM TO DETERMINE HIMSELF WHAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF APPROX 8 QUARTS OF OIL. I KNOW ALL MAINT PERSONNEL MUST BE COMFORTABLE AND SATISFIED WITH SIGNING OFF A WRITE-UP, AND THE MORE INFO THEY FIND FIRST HAND ONLY REINFORCES THEIR DECISIONS AND ACTIONS. I QUESTIONED THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE WRITE-OFF IN THE ACTION COLUMN OF THE LOGBOOK COULD BE TAKEN AS INCONCLUSIVE TO SOMEONE JUST REVIEWING THE LOGBOOK WHO WAS NEVER INVOLVED WITH THE SIT. I DID NOT WRITE UP THAT I HAD FOUND THE ENG OIL CAP OFF, THEREFORE, IT MUST STATE CLRLY IN THE ACTION COLUMN THAT IT WAS FOUND OFF, OR IT NEEDED TO BE REINSTALLED, WHICH WAS THE TERMINOLOGY OUR CONTRACT MAINT PERSON USED. THIS IS WHY I WAS SATISFIED WITH THE ACTION WRITE-OFF. BUT TO AN OUTSIDER, REINSTALLED COULD POSSIBLY MEAN OUR CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL SECURED THE CAP AFTER SCVING THE ENG OIL, NOT THAT HE FOUND IT UNSECURED AND REINSTALLED IT AFTER SVCING THE ENG WITH OIL. ANY SIGN-OFF I CAN RECALL CONCERNING ENG OIL SVC PERFORMED BY MAINT PERSONNEL HAS SIMPLY STATED, 'SVCED #2 ENG OIL' IN THE ACTION COLUMN. I'VE NEVER SEEN ANY MENTION OF THE OIL FILLER CAP.

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.