Air taxi departs with oil filler cap unsecured. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	181549
Time
Date	199106
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : den
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial descent other landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1375
ASRS Report	181549
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I (first officer) was adding 1 qt of oil to each of the engines. I set the empty can down by my feet. The wind caught it and was carrying it off across the ramp. I finished emptying the last of the oil into the right engine. Then I went after it. When I got back to the aircraft I closed the oil access panel. No sign of oil was observed during start or taxi. Just after liftoff oil was observed leaking around the cooler vents. Departure was notified that we wanted to return to check out the right engine. The return was uneventful. Upon landing and shutdown the right oil filler cap was found unsecured. The engine still had more than minimum required oil.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI DEPARTS WITH OIL FILLER CAP UNSECURED. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: I (F/O) WAS ADDING 1 QT OF OIL TO EACH OF THE ENGS. I SET THE EMPTY CAN DOWN BY MY FEET. THE WIND CAUGHT IT AND WAS CARRYING IT OFF ACROSS THE RAMP. I FINISHED EMPTYING THE LAST OF THE OIL INTO THE RIGHT ENG. THEN I WENT AFTER IT. WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE ACFT I CLOSED THE OIL ACCESS PANEL. NO SIGN OF OIL WAS OBSERVED DURING START OR TAXI. JUST AFTER LIFTOFF OIL WAS OBSERVED LEAKING AROUND THE COOLER VENTS. DEP WAS NOTIFIED THAT WE WANTED TO RETURN TO CHK OUT THE RIGHT ENG. THE RETURN WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON LNDG AND SHUTDOWN THE RIGHT OIL FILLER CAP WAS FOUND UNSECURED. THE ENG STILL HAD MORE THAN MINIMUM REQUIRED OIL.

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.