Narrative:

Oil quantity #1 engine went to zero. Pressure dropped to zero and engine shut down in accordance with QRH. The aircraft was returned to iad, our departure point. An emergency was declared and an uneventful landing made at dulles. My concern, although at present I know of no errors, is that my flight may have missed something. For example, I was given descent instructions by ATC. Yet, with all the distrs created during the shutdown of the #1 engine, I was slow to initiate that descent. In retrospect, could there have been more? One major cause for this initial confusion was the way the problem began. I noticed zero quantity indicated, yet pressure and temperature were normal. How could this be? The oil quantity circuit breaker was in. It turns out that flight manual/pilot handbook states that with the quantity of zero, there is still 1.3 gallons remaining. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the engine was a P&west JT8D-15 and the loss of oil was caused by the N2 towershaft gear box seal and seal plate found loose. The reporter said P&west was investigating this incident.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 IN CLB AT FL200 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO LOSS OF OIL QUANTITY IN #1 ENG CAUSED BY AN N2 TOWERSHAFT GEAR BOX OIL SEAL AND COVER PLATE LOOSE.

Narrative: OIL QUANTITY #1 ENG WENT TO ZERO. PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AND ENG SHUT DOWN IN ACCORDANCE WITH QRH. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO IAD, OUR DEP POINT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG MADE AT DULLES. MY CONCERN, ALTHOUGH AT PRESENT I KNOW OF NO ERRORS, IS THAT MY FLT MAY HAVE MISSED SOMETHING. FOR EXAMPLE, I WAS GIVEN DSCNT INSTRUCTIONS BY ATC. YET, WITH ALL THE DISTRS CREATED DURING THE SHUTDOWN OF THE #1 ENG, I WAS SLOW TO INITIATE THAT DSCNT. IN RETROSPECT, COULD THERE HAVE BEEN MORE? ONE MAJOR CAUSE FOR THIS INITIAL CONFUSION WAS THE WAY THE PROB BEGAN. I NOTICED ZERO QUANTITY INDICATED, YET PRESSURE AND TEMP WERE NORMAL. HOW COULD THIS BE? THE OIL QUANTITY CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS IN. IT TURNS OUT THAT FLT MANUAL/PLT HANDBOOK STATES THAT WITH THE QUANTITY OF ZERO, THERE IS STILL 1.3 GALLONS REMAINING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ENG WAS A P&W JT8D-15 AND THE LOSS OF OIL WAS CAUSED BY THE N2 TOWERSHAFT GEAR BOX SEAL AND SEAL PLATE FOUND LOOSE. THE RPTR SAID P&W WAS INVESTIGATING THIS INCIDENT.

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.