Several air carrier aircraft at ord are svced with contaminated oil.

Attributes
ACN	208916
Time
Date	199205
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight other
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	208916
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Engine oil tanks were being svced by airline -- personnel during the afternoon shift on may/sun/92 with an oil service truck. It was discovered that the truck contained a barrel of contaminated oil. The barrel was installed by a fuel service department fueler and myself. On the night shift beginning on may/sat/92, a night shift mechanic had taken the barrel out of storage and prepared it with the fittings. The mechanic was then reassigned to another job. The fuel service employee and I then installed the barrel on the truck. The contamination was discovered on a later shift that day, during the servicing to a company aircraft. The widebody transport X and the large transport Y had already been svced. Both planes were air-interrupted from ord. The contaminated barrel had been taken from a storage area where there are numerous identical barrels, sealed and unsealed, full and empty, with caps tight and loose caps. All of these barrels have the identical manufacturer, oil type and markings. The solution to this problem would be separate designated areas for sealed barrels and opened barrels. Both the areas and the barrels should be labeled accordingly so that employees can easily determine which barrels are safe to use.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SEVERAL ACR ACFT AT ORD ARE SVCED WITH CONTAMINATED OIL.

Narrative: ENG OIL TANKS WERE BEING SVCED BY AIRLINE -- PERSONNEL DURING THE AFTERNOON SHIFT ON MAY/SUN/92 WITH AN OIL SVC TRUCK. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TRUCK CONTAINED A BARREL OF CONTAMINATED OIL. THE BARREL WAS INSTALLED BY A FUEL SVC DEPT FUELER AND MYSELF. ON THE NIGHT SHIFT BEGINNING ON MAY/SAT/92, A NIGHT SHIFT MECH HAD TAKEN THE BARREL OUT OF STORAGE AND PREPARED IT WITH THE FITTINGS. THE MECH WAS THEN REASSIGNED TO ANOTHER JOB. THE FUEL SVC EMPLOYEE AND I THEN INSTALLED THE BARREL ON THE TRUCK. THE CONTAMINATION WAS DISCOVERED ON A LATER SHIFT THAT DAY, DURING THE SVCING TO A COMPANY ACFT. THE WDB X AND THE LGT Y HAD ALREADY BEEN SVCED. BOTH PLANES WERE AIR-INTERRUPTED FROM ORD. THE CONTAMINATED BARREL HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM A STORAGE AREA WHERE THERE ARE NUMEROUS IDENTICAL BARRELS, SEALED AND UNSEALED, FULL AND EMPTY, WITH CAPS TIGHT AND LOOSE CAPS. ALL OF THESE BARRELS HAVE THE IDENTICAL MANUFACTURER, OIL TYPE AND MARKINGS. THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE SEPARATE DESIGNATED AREAS FOR SEALED BARRELS AND OPENED BARRELS. BOTH THE AREAS AND THE BARRELS SHOULD BE LABELED ACCORDINGLY SO THAT EMPLOYEES CAN EASILY DETERMINE WHICH BARRELS ARE SAFE TO USE.

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.