Narrative:

On my 3RD day in line maintenance at air carrier, I was assigned to oiling engines. I was told that the engines needed svced within 30 min or they would have to run the engines before servicing. A fellow technician showed me how to run the browser and how to service the oil, and then I was on my own. 4 planes arrived in a short period of time, but at the end of the day, I felt I did a good job. The plane in question arrived about XA50, svced at XB00 and pushed out at XE00. At about XG00, maintenance control called and asked if I noticed any excessive oil leaks. I told them no, they said they would monitor. I looked at the engine oil usage for the B747's #4 engine, it was using on average of 3 qts per flight leg, I put in 4 qts. I thought there must be an oil leak. Later that night, the director called and informed me that the plane was turned around in flight. The technicians found the door open, the cap missing, and they put 18 qts of oil in the engine. I told him that I felt I did the job correctly and asked if the door was open, shouldn't the so have seen it on walkaround (which the technician who did pushback said was done at XD40). He said it didn't matter, because I signed the logbook. I have been told that the cap has been off before and made the flight, but that the oil flapper valve was inoperative.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH #4 ENG OIL SVC CAP NOT INSTALLED AFTER SVCING. ACFT RETURNED TO THE FIELD.

Narrative: ON MY 3RD DAY IN LINE MAINT AT ACR, I WAS ASSIGNED TO OILING ENGS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGS NEEDED SVCED WITHIN 30 MIN OR THEY WOULD HAVE TO RUN THE ENGS BEFORE SVCING. A FELLOW TECHNICIAN SHOWED ME HOW TO RUN THE BROWSER AND HOW TO SVC THE OIL, AND THEN I WAS ON MY OWN. 4 PLANES ARRIVED IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I FELT I DID A GOOD JOB. THE PLANE IN QUESTION ARRIVED ABOUT XA50, SVCED AT XB00 AND PUSHED OUT AT XE00. AT ABOUT XG00, MAINT CTL CALLED AND ASKED IF I NOTICED ANY EXCESSIVE OIL LEAKS. I TOLD THEM NO, THEY SAID THEY WOULD MONITOR. I LOOKED AT THE ENG OIL USAGE FOR THE B747'S #4 ENG, IT WAS USING ON AVERAGE OF 3 QTS PER FLT LEG, I PUT IN 4 QTS. I THOUGHT THERE MUST BE AN OIL LEAK. LATER THAT NIGHT, THE DIRECTOR CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT THE PLANE WAS TURNED AROUND IN FLT. THE TECHNICIANS FOUND THE DOOR OPEN, THE CAP MISSING, AND THEY PUT 18 QTS OF OIL IN THE ENG. I TOLD HIM THAT I FELT I DID THE JOB CORRECTLY AND ASKED IF THE DOOR WAS OPEN, SHOULDN'T THE SO HAVE SEEN IT ON WALKAROUND (WHICH THE TECHNICIAN WHO DID PUSHBACK SAID WAS DONE AT XD40). HE SAID IT DIDN'T MATTER, BECAUSE I SIGNED THE LOGBOOK. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE CAP HAS BEEN OFF BEFORE AND MADE THE FLT, BUT THAT THE OIL FLAPPER VALVE WAS INOP.

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.