Narrative:

At approximately XA50Z level at FL390, I noticed the #1 oil quantity was at 10.0 qts. All other parameters were normal. I contacted dispatch and maintenance controller to discuss this with them. While discussing this oil quantity was still decreasing. An emergency was declared, and a cabin advisory was issued. We began a descent to the nearest suitable airport, sfo. A normal approach and landing was made to runway 28R. After exiting the runway, the #1 engine was shut down. A fire truck behind us told ATC that there was a fire in the left engine. There was however, no cockpit indication of a fire. ATC was advised that we were going to fight the fire using the aircraft's fire protection system. After discharging both bottles, the fire truck still observed fire. The fire department then extinguished the fire. Maintenance then towed the airplane to the gate. Some concerns I have are as follows: the lack of information that maintenance controller and the flight manual had regarding a minimum oil quantity. There is no procedure in the flight manual for low oil quantity. I decided to keep the engine running, as all other parameters remained normal, and the engine was producing thrust. When the oil quantity decreased below 5.5 qts, the indication pulsed in green. The quantity got as low as 3.5 qts, was still pulsing green, and other indications were normal. Supplemental information from acn 583391: the captain noticed low oil quantity on the #1 engine at 10 qts. Called maintenance controller and dispatch to discuss any procedural considerations since there are no specifics in the fom as to oil low quantity in-flight/oil leak in-flight. As the captain was on the conference call the oil quantity continued to decrease. Since we were so close to sfo (about the top of descent) we continued to the airport under a declared emergency. We landed on runway 28R with the oil quantity flashing between 3.5 to 5.0 qts. After we cleared the runway we shut down the #1 engine. Shortly after, the fire marshall saw a fire and thus reported to ground control and relayed to us. We decided to discharge both fire bottles as a precaution to any internal fire (no ecams present), while we instructed the fire marshall to 'at his discretion' fight the fire externally. The fire truck discharged additional halon to the aft section of the #1 engine, which secured the fire. We then requested to be towed to the gate and further shutdown/checklists were accomplished normally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW HAD A LOSS OF ENG OIL. THE CREW LANDED AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WHERE CFR EXTINGUISHED AN ACTUAL ENG FIRE.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA50Z LEVEL AT FL390, I NOTICED THE #1 OIL QUANTITY WAS AT 10.0 QTS. ALL OTHER PARAMETERS WERE NORMAL. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTLR TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THEM. WHILE DISCUSSING THIS OIL QUANTITY WAS STILL DECREASING. AN EMER WAS DECLARED, AND A CABIN ADVISORY WAS ISSUED. WE BEGAN A DSCNT TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, SFO. A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE TO RWY 28R. AFTER EXITING THE RWY, THE #1 ENG WAS SHUT DOWN. A FIRE TRUCK BEHIND US TOLD ATC THAT THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE L ENG. THERE WAS HOWEVER, NO COCKPIT INDICATION OF A FIRE. ATC WAS ADVISED THAT WE WERE GOING TO FIGHT THE FIRE USING THE ACFT'S FIRE PROTECTION SYS. AFTER DISCHARGING BOTH BOTTLES, THE FIRE TRUCK STILL OBSERVED FIRE. THE FIRE DEPT THEN EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. MAINT THEN TOWED THE AIRPLANE TO THE GATE. SOME CONCERNS I HAVE ARE AS FOLLOWS: THE LACK OF INFO THAT MAINT CTLR AND THE FLT MANUAL HAD REGARDING A MINIMUM OIL QUANTITY. THERE IS NO PROC IN THE FLT MANUAL FOR LOW OIL QUANTITY. I DECIDED TO KEEP THE ENG RUNNING, AS ALL OTHER PARAMETERS REMAINED NORMAL, AND THE ENG WAS PRODUCING THRUST. WHEN THE OIL QUANTITY DECREASED BELOW 5.5 QTS, THE INDICATION PULSED IN GREEN. THE QUANTITY GOT AS LOW AS 3.5 QTS, WAS STILL PULSING GREEN, AND OTHER INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 583391: THE CAPT NOTICED LOW OIL QUANTITY ON THE #1 ENG AT 10 QTS. CALLED MAINT CTLR AND DISPATCH TO DISCUSS ANY PROCEDURAL CONSIDERATIONS SINCE THERE ARE NO SPECIFICS IN THE FOM AS TO OIL LOW QUANTITY INFLT/OIL LEAK INFLT. AS THE CAPT WAS ON THE CONFERENCE CALL THE OIL QUANTITY CONTINUED TO DECREASE. SINCE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO SFO (ABOUT THE TOP OF DSCNT) WE CONTINUED TO THE ARPT UNDER A DECLARED EMER. WE LANDED ON RWY 28R WITH THE OIL QUANTITY FLASHING BTWN 3.5 TO 5.0 QTS. AFTER WE CLRED THE RWY WE SHUT DOWN THE #1 ENG. SHORTLY AFTER, THE FIRE MARSHALL SAW A FIRE AND THUS RPTED TO GND CTL AND RELAYED TO US. WE DECIDED TO DISCHARGE BOTH FIRE BOTTLES AS A PRECAUTION TO ANY INTERNAL FIRE (NO ECAMS PRESENT), WHILE WE INSTRUCTED THE FIRE MARSHALL TO 'AT HIS DISCRETION' FIGHT THE FIRE EXTERNALLY. THE FIRE TRUCK DISCHARGED ADDITIONAL HALON TO THE AFT SECTION OF THE #1 ENG, WHICH SECURED THE FIRE. WE THEN REQUESTED TO BE TOWED TO THE GATE AND FURTHER SHUTDOWN/CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED NORMALLY.

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.