B737-800 captain refused to allow proper oil service for the #1 engine.

Attributes
ACN	633315
Time
Date	200408
Day	Mon
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzv.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : maintenance ground : parked ground : taxi ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : inspection authority technician : fcc technician : airframe
Experience	maintenance avionics : 10 maintenance technician : 25
ASRS Report	633315
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : # 1 eng oil quantity other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Captain X came into mia with a logbook entry of needing left engine oil service, indicates 11 quarts. When I arrived at the aircraft, I noted fuel coming from the right engine drain mast and investigated. The fuel leak was within maintenance manual limits and was already on a technician watch. It was at this time that I informed captain and first officer of the good news. It was already past the minimum time limit on servicing engine oil by then. I informed captain and first officer that the left engine would have to be run and then the oil svced as per air carrier's maintenance manual. Captain told me to 'just put a few quarts in so we can leave on time.' I again informed him that I would follow the maintenance manual procedure and run the left engine first. I returned to the gate with the oil servicing tools and the aircraft was nowhere to be seen. My supervisor called the tower to have the aircraft returned for service. Captain refused, informed us that he had taken care of the open logbook entry and that he was going on flight. Captain put this in the logbook, 'information to maintenance, left engine oil quantity indicated 13 quarts. Maintenance unavailable to service oil without a departure delay. Captain elected to depart without extra service, suggested above.' upon captain's and first officer's return on flight xy to mia now with 2 open logbook entries, captain added a third item, 'information to maintenance, #1 engine oil indicates 11 quarts at cruise.' no kidding, it was below maintenance manual limits when he left.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 CAPT REFUSED TO ALLOW PROPER OIL SVC FOR THE #1 ENG.

Narrative: CAPT X CAME INTO MIA WITH A LOGBOOK ENTRY OF NEEDING L ENG OIL SVC, INDICATES 11 QUARTS. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT, I NOTED FUEL COMING FROM THE R ENG DRAIN MAST AND INVESTIGATED. THE FUEL LEAK WAS WITHIN MAINT MANUAL LIMITS AND WAS ALREADY ON A TECHNICIAN WATCH. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I INFORMED CAPT AND FO OF THE GOOD NEWS. IT WAS ALREADY PAST THE MINIMUM TIME LIMIT ON SVCING ENG OIL BY THEN. I INFORMED CAPT AND FO THAT THE L ENG WOULD HAVE TO BE RUN AND THEN THE OIL SVCED AS PER ACR'S MAINT MANUAL. CAPT TOLD ME TO 'JUST PUT A FEW QUARTS IN SO WE CAN LEAVE ON TIME.' I AGAIN INFORMED HIM THAT I WOULD FOLLOW THE MAINT MANUAL PROC AND RUN THE L ENG FIRST. I RETURNED TO THE GATE WITH THE OIL SVCING TOOLS AND THE ACFT WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. MY SUPVR CALLED THE TWR TO HAVE THE ACFT RETURNED FOR SVC. CAPT REFUSED, INFORMED US THAT HE HAD TAKEN CARE OF THE OPEN LOGBOOK ENTRY AND THAT HE WAS GOING ON FLT. CAPT PUT THIS IN THE LOGBOOK, 'INFO TO MAINT, L ENG OIL QUANTITY INDICATED 13 QUARTS. MAINT UNAVAILABLE TO SVC OIL WITHOUT A DEP DELAY. CAPT ELECTED TO DEPART WITHOUT EXTRA SVC, SUGGESTED ABOVE.' UPON CAPT'S AND FO'S RETURN ON FLT XY TO MIA NOW WITH 2 OPEN LOGBOOK ENTRIES, CAPT ADDED A THIRD ITEM, 'INFO TO MAINT, #1 ENG OIL INDICATES 11 QUARTS AT CRUISE.' NO KIDDING, IT WAS BELOW MAINT MANUAL LIMITS WHEN HE LEFT.

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.