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B747-200 flight engineer notices that oil quantity is decreasing in engine #4. Flight crew declares an emergency and returns to land at ZZZ safely.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 572624 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200301 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zzz.artcc |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 34000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time total : 13500 |
| ASRS Report | 572624 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : oil qty gauge other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Takeoff, climb, cruise and leveloff all normal. So advised that the #4 engine oil quantity was indicating only 2 gallons. Departure oil was approximately 8-9 gallons. Oil temperature and pressure indications were normal. Dispatch and maintenance control were notified and we began to monitor oil consumption. Gauges were swapped between oil quantity 3 and oil quantity 4 to determine if there was a gauge problem, but gauges showed low oil quantity. After about 45 mins, we observed a loss of quantity of 1/2 - 3/4 gph. Captain made the decision to return to ZZZ and dispatch and maintenance were again consulted and with concurrence, dispatch rereleased the flight to return to ZZZ. ATC was notified and a clearance back to ZZZ was received. The flight attendants were notified that we were going to return to ZZZ and the passenger were briefed accordingly. Captain declared emergency and requested that equipment be standing by for landing. Uneventful landing was made on runway 8L at ZZZ.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B747-200 FE NOTICES THAT OIL QUANTITY IS DECREASING IN ENG #4. FLT CREW DECLARES AN EMER AND RETURNS TO LAND AT ZZZ SAFELY.
Narrative: TKOF, CLB, CRUISE AND LEVELOFF ALL NORMAL. SO ADVISED THAT THE #4 ENG OIL QUANTITY WAS INDICATING ONLY 2 GALLONS. DEP OIL WAS APPROX 8-9 GALLONS. OIL TEMP AND PRESSURE INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL WERE NOTIFIED AND WE BEGAN TO MONITOR OIL CONSUMPTION. GAUGES WERE SWAPPED BTWN OIL QUANTITY 3 AND OIL QUANTITY 4 TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A GAUGE PROB, BUT GAUGES SHOWED LOW OIL QUANTITY. AFTER ABOUT 45 MINS, WE OBSERVED A LOSS OF QUANTITY OF 1/2 - 3/4 GPH. CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO ZZZ AND DISPATCH AND MAINT WERE AGAIN CONSULTED AND WITH CONCURRENCE, DISPATCH RERELEASED THE FLT TO RETURN TO ZZZ. ATC WAS NOTIFIED AND A CLRNC BACK TO ZZZ WAS RECEIVED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE NOTIFIED THAT WE WERE GOING TO RETURN TO ZZZ AND THE PAX WERE BRIEFED ACCORDINGLY. CAPT DECLARED EMER AND REQUESTED THAT EQUIP BE STANDING BY FOR LNDG. UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE ON RWY 8L AT ZZZ.
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.