Narrative:

On arrival to the airport and aircraft on a part 91 flight, I proceeded to start a preflight whereupon I noticed some type of fluid on the tarmac forward of the aircraft nosewheel and on the tires. Upon further inspection by opening the gear doors on the nosewheel, it became apparent that the leak came from somewhere in the wheelwell, although it was not immediately apparent where. In an effort to preserve the area around the aircraft, I did not close the wheelwell doors or the aircraft, nor did I fuel or start the APU. I immediately called our chief of maintenance who came to the aircraft to troubleshoot the leak. In the process of working on the aircraft, an FAA inspector (wasn't apparent at the time) boarded the aircraft in search of the crew. The copilot left the FBO interior, where we both were, to find out who had boarded the plane. The inspector came inside, asked for credentials, and then proceeded to go back outside to speak to our chief of maintenance. I eventually was asked by the chief of maintenance to return to the aircraft and write up the leak in the logbook, because the inspector was asking why I had not put one in. I had not realized that there needed to be an entry by myself since I had not flown the aircraft or powered it up in anyway. I was also not aware (and am still not) of any regulations that specify a time limit for the entry of an aircraft discrepancy in the logbook by the PIC. I am still researching what, if any, action I should have taken that I did not.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR INQUIRED OF FLC OF AN MLG CPR JET REGARDING THE FACT THAT AN OIL LEAK FROM THE ACFT NOSEWHEEL AREA HAD NOT BEEN WRITTEN UP IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG. SINCE THE RPTR COULD NOT IDENT THE SOURCE OF OIL HE HAD CALLED MAINT IN TO EXAMINE THE ACFT AND HAD NOT NOTED SUCH IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK.

Narrative: ON ARR TO THE ARPT AND ACFT ON A PART 91 FLT, I PROCEEDED TO START A PREFLT WHEREUPON I NOTICED SOME TYPE OF FLUID ON THE TARMAC FORWARD OF THE ACFT NOSEWHEEL AND ON THE TIRES. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION BY OPENING THE GEAR DOORS ON THE NOSEWHEEL, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE LEAK CAME FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE WHEELWELL, ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY APPARENT WHERE. IN AN EFFORT TO PRESERVE THE AREA AROUND THE ACFT, I DID NOT CLOSE THE WHEELWELL DOORS OR THE ACFT, NOR DID I FUEL OR START THE APU. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED OUR CHIEF OF MAINT WHO CAME TO THE ACFT TO TROUBLESHOOT THE LEAK. IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON THE ACFT, AN FAA INSPECTOR (WASN'T APPARENT AT THE TIME) BOARDED THE ACFT IN SEARCH OF THE CREW. THE COPLT LEFT THE FBO INTERIOR, WHERE WE BOTH WERE, TO FIND OUT WHO HAD BOARDED THE PLANE. THE INSPECTOR CAME INSIDE, ASKED FOR CREDENTIALS, AND THEN PROCEEDED TO GO BACK OUTSIDE TO SPEAK TO OUR CHIEF OF MAINT. I EVENTUALLY WAS ASKED BY THE CHIEF OF MAINT TO RETURN TO THE ACFT AND WRITE UP THE LEAK IN THE LOGBOOK, BECAUSE THE INSPECTOR WAS ASKING WHY I HAD NOT PUT ONE IN. I HAD NOT REALIZED THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE AN ENTRY BY MYSELF SINCE I HAD NOT FLOWN THE ACFT OR POWERED IT UP IN ANYWAY. I WAS ALSO NOT AWARE (AND AM STILL NOT) OF ANY REGS THAT SPECIFY A TIME LIMIT FOR THE ENTRY OF AN ACFT DISCREPANCY IN THE LOGBOOK BY THE PIC. I AM STILL RESEARCHING WHAT, IF ANY, ACTION I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT I DID NOT.

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.