A citabria landed at ZZZ due to loss of engine oil and after troubleshooting was found to be the #4 ...

Attributes
ACN	375311
Time
Date	199707
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Champion Citabria
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	375311
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I received a call from abc on jul/xx/97 at night, to look at a citabria in ZZZ airport. He was unable to get to ZZZ. He stated the pilot was towing a banner and was losing oil. He landed in ZZZ and left the aircraft there. I took a case of oil and went to ZZZ airport the next day jul/xa/97 in the rain (about 60 mi). There are no maintenance facilities on ZZZ airport at this time. I found the aircraft and took the cowling off. I found oil everywhere. After cleaning the engine as best as I could, I tightened up and checked all oil lines, valve cover gaskets. I added 5 quarts of oil and brought the oil level to 7 quarts. I then ran the engine momentarily, rechked for oil loss and level. The level had not dropped, but there was oil on the #4 cylinder and elsewhere. I checked the pushrod tubes and rechked the front seal. The front seal was still dry and the pushrod tubes had no obvious defects. I then ran the engine for 15 mins, 5 at 1000 FPM. 10 at 1700 FPM and several at full power. The oil level had not dropped but oil was still on the top of the #4 cylinder. I rechked the pushrod tubes and found no obvious defects again. I called abc and reported what I had found. Also the engine had run rough when cold but was running ok after warming up. Mr abc stated, 'it's up to the pilot whether he flies it back or not.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CITABRIA LANDED AT ZZZ DUE TO LOSS OF ENG OIL AND AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING WAS FOUND TO BE THE #4 CYLINDER HEAD LEAKING OIL. THE OWNER CHOSE NOT TO REPAIR THE ACFT BUT LET THE PLT MAKE THE DECISION TO FLY IT OR NOT.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ABC ON JUL/XX/97 AT NIGHT, TO LOOK AT A CITABRIA IN ZZZ ARPT. HE WAS UNABLE TO GET TO ZZZ. HE STATED THE PLT WAS TOWING A BANNER AND WAS LOSING OIL. HE LANDED IN ZZZ AND LEFT THE ACFT THERE. I TOOK A CASE OF OIL AND WENT TO ZZZ ARPT THE NEXT DAY JUL/XA/97 IN THE RAIN (ABOUT 60 MI). THERE ARE NO MAINT FACILITIES ON ZZZ ARPT AT THIS TIME. I FOUND THE ACFT AND TOOK THE COWLING OFF. I FOUND OIL EVERYWHERE. AFTER CLEANING THE ENG AS BEST AS I COULD, I TIGHTENED UP AND CHKED ALL OIL LINES, VALVE COVER GASKETS. I ADDED 5 QUARTS OF OIL AND BROUGHT THE OIL LEVEL TO 7 QUARTS. I THEN RAN THE ENG MOMENTARILY, RECHKED FOR OIL LOSS AND LEVEL. THE LEVEL HAD NOT DROPPED, BUT THERE WAS OIL ON THE #4 CYLINDER AND ELSEWHERE. I CHKED THE PUSHROD TUBES AND RECHKED THE FRONT SEAL. THE FRONT SEAL WAS STILL DRY AND THE PUSHROD TUBES HAD NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS. I THEN RAN THE ENG FOR 15 MINS, 5 AT 1000 FPM. 10 AT 1700 FPM AND SEVERAL AT FULL PWR. THE OIL LEVEL HAD NOT DROPPED BUT OIL WAS STILL ON THE TOP OF THE #4 CYLINDER. I RECHKED THE PUSHROD TUBES AND FOUND NO OBVIOUS DEFECTS AGAIN. I CALLED ABC AND RPTED WHAT I HAD FOUND. ALSO THE ENG HAD RUN ROUGH WHEN COLD BUT WAS RUNNING OK AFTER WARMING UP. MR ABC STATED, 'IT'S UP TO THE PLT WHETHER HE FLIES IT BACK OR NOT.'

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.

A citabria landed at ZZZ due to loss of engine oil and after troubleshooting was found to be the #4 cylinder head leaking oil. The owner chose not to repair the aircraft but let the pilot make the decision to fly it or not.