A B727-200 was dispatched with the #3 engine oil fill cap missing incurring the loss of engine oil.

Attributes
ACN	400262
Time
Date	199804
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	400262
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The aircraft was in for a scheduled maintenance 'a' check at the gate. I was responsible for the engines. It was a routine inspection. But the next night when arriving at work I was told by management that the oil cap for #3 engine was found in the engine cowling. I found this to be strange because I always check and service the engine oil before I open the engine cowling. I feel if I did not install the cap, the cap would be on the highlift not in the engine cowling because I always put the cap on the highlift when servicing the engine oil. I also feel this to be suspicious because 2 weeks before the same thing happened to a mechanic on the same #3 engine. The aircraft was also going to YYY from ZZZ. There was no in-flight shutdown but the engine oil had to be svced.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE #3 ENG OIL FILL CAP MISSING INCURRING THE LOSS OF ENG OIL.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS IN FOR A SCHEDULED MAINT 'A' CHK AT THE GATE. I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENGS. IT WAS A ROUTINE INSPECTION. BUT THE NEXT NIGHT WHEN ARRIVING AT WORK I WAS TOLD BY MGMNT THAT THE OIL CAP FOR #3 ENG WAS FOUND IN THE ENG COWLING. I FOUND THIS TO BE STRANGE BECAUSE I ALWAYS CHK AND SVC THE ENG OIL BEFORE I OPEN THE ENG COWLING. I FEEL IF I DID NOT INSTALL THE CAP, THE CAP WOULD BE ON THE HIGHLIFT NOT IN THE ENG COWLING BECAUSE I ALWAYS PUT THE CAP ON THE HIGHLIFT WHEN SVCING THE ENG OIL. I ALSO FEEL THIS TO BE SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE 2 WKS BEFORE THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO A MECH ON THE SAME #3 ENG. THE ACFT WAS ALSO GOING TO YYY FROM ZZZ. THERE WAS NO INFLT SHUTDOWN BUT THE ENG OIL HAD TO BE SVCED.

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.