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An air taxi small transport twin pilot had to return land with an engine oil leak. The dipstick was not properly secured. Error admitted.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 355003 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199612 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : smf |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 50 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : smf |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial ground : preflight other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 355003 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Just after liftoff for IFR departure with 6 passenger, right engine started streaming oil along nacelle. I called tower, turned downwind, and received clearance to land (2 mins). Postflt inspection revealed oil dipstick and filler cap had come unseated when lineman had checked oil quantity. Pilot preflight inspection had been interrupted and distraction by passenger anxious to depart immediately. This human error (failure to complete thorough preflight which would have discovered lineman's servicing mistake) could have been avoided by directing passenger to wait in lounge until aircraft was ready to board. This is now standard procedure. Passenger offloaded, engine oil resvced to 10 quarts, cleaned nacelle and wing, leak checked ok. Reloaded passenger and continued to destination.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIR TAXI SMT TWIN PLT HAD TO RETURN LAND WITH AN ENG OIL LEAK. THE DIPSTICK WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. ERROR ADMITTED.
Narrative: JUST AFTER LIFTOFF FOR IFR DEP WITH 6 PAX, R ENG STARTED STREAMING OIL ALONG NACELLE. I CALLED TWR, TURNED DOWNWIND, AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND (2 MINS). POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED OIL DIPSTICK AND FILLER CAP HAD COME UNSEATED WHEN LINEMAN HAD CHKED OIL QUANTITY. PLT PREFLT INSPECTION HAD BEEN INTERRUPTED AND DISTR BY PAX ANXIOUS TO DEPART IMMEDIATELY. THIS HUMAN ERROR (FAILURE TO COMPLETE THOROUGH PREFLT WHICH WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED LINEMAN'S SVCING MISTAKE) COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY DIRECTING PAX TO WAIT IN LOUNGE UNTIL ACFT WAS READY TO BOARD. THIS IS NOW STANDARD PROC. PAX OFFLOADED, ENG OIL RESVCED TO 10 QUARTS, CLEANED NACELLE AND WING, LEAK CHKED OK. RELOADED PAX AND CONTINUED TO DEST.
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.