A DC9-30 was dispatched in non compliance with #2 engine oil tank cap not secured.

Attributes
ACN	460564
Time
Date	200001
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance technician : 10
ASRS Report	460564
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : #2 engine oil quantity indicator
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Met, parked and secured aircraft at the gate upon its arrival. Captain indicated he had flight log items which needed attention. One item was an outbound landing light was inoperative, and the other was the #1 engine needed oil service. Because the aircraft had arrived late and was a quick turn around, the landing light was put on MEL. I svced the #1 engine as needed (3 quarts). As is my usual routine when checking engine oil, I proceeded to also check the quantity of oil in #2 engine (1 quart). Note: I always check the oil in both engines. While servicing the #2 engine, I was called away by an air carrier contract fueler on the aircraft to address a problem with opening the fuel panel door. When this problem was solved I apparently went back to #2 engine and took my oil cart and stand away. I have no recollection of reinstalling the oil tank cap or closing the cowling door. The aircraft then proceeded from ZZZ to XXX. Later we received feedback that the engine had experienced a loss of 4 quarts of oil after landing at XXX. The flight did not incur any deviations nor damage from its normal route from ZZZ to XXX, and was in operation the following day on the same route.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-30 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH #2 ENG OIL TANK CAP NOT SECURED.

Narrative: MET, PARKED AND SECURED ACFT AT THE GATE UPON ITS ARR. CAPT INDICATED HE HAD FLT LOG ITEMS WHICH NEEDED ATTN. ONE ITEM WAS AN OUTBOUND LNDG LIGHT WAS INOP, AND THE OTHER WAS THE #1 ENG NEEDED OIL SVC. BECAUSE THE ACFT HAD ARRIVED LATE AND WAS A QUICK TURN AROUND, THE LNDG LIGHT WAS PUT ON MEL. I SVCED THE #1 ENG AS NEEDED (3 QUARTS). AS IS MY USUAL ROUTINE WHEN CHKING ENG OIL, I PROCEEDED TO ALSO CHK THE QUANTITY OF OIL IN #2 ENG (1 QUART). NOTE: I ALWAYS CHK THE OIL IN BOTH ENGS. WHILE SVCING THE #2 ENG, I WAS CALLED AWAY BY AN ACR CONTRACT FUELER ON THE ACFT TO ADDRESS A PROB WITH OPENING THE FUEL PANEL DOOR. WHEN THIS PROB WAS SOLVED I APPARENTLY WENT BACK TO #2 ENG AND TOOK MY OIL CART AND STAND AWAY. I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF REINSTALLING THE OIL TANK CAP OR CLOSING THE COWLING DOOR. THE ACFT THEN PROCEEDED FROM ZZZ TO XXX. LATER WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK THAT THE ENG HAD EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF 4 QUARTS OF OIL AFTER LNDG AT XXX. THE FLT DID NOT INCUR ANY DEVS NOR DAMAGE FROM ITS NORMAL RTE FROM ZZZ TO XXX, AND WAS IN OP THE FOLLOWING DAY ON THE SAME RTE.

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.