Narrative:

The first officer mentioned to me that during his exterior preflight inspection, he noticed that the left engine was dripping fluid. I asked him if he thought that it was excessive and he said he could not make that determination. I told him to call maintenance and have them check it for us, which he did. I then left the aircraft to go to the gate. When I got back he was doing an engine run with maintenance on the headset on the ground. When that was complete, I asked him what had transpired. He said maintenance had checked the engine and everything was ok and we did not need a write-up in the aircraft maintenance log. We then took off and proceeded to our destination. I got to wondering en route if we should have made a logbook entry. I consulted with the maintenance procedures that we carry onboard to see if I could get some guidance. It only made the confusion worse. Because maintenance was called I think maybe a write-up was required, but since no problem was found and no corrective action taken I do not believe a write-up was required. The information in the manuals that I have is not clear and allowas for many gray areas. I feel that the FAA's intentions and requirements should be made very clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FO FOUND A FLUID LEAK ON #1 ENG ON EXTERIOR PREFLT INSPECTION.

Narrative: THE FO MENTIONED TO ME THAT DURING HIS EXTERIOR PREFLT INSPECTION, HE NOTICED THAT THE L ENG WAS DRIPPING FLUID. I ASKED HIM IF HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS EXCESSIVE AND HE SAID HE COULD NOT MAKE THAT DETERMINATION. I TOLD HIM TO CALL MAINT AND HAVE THEM CHK IT FOR US, WHICH HE DID. I THEN LEFT THE ACFT TO GO TO THE GATE. WHEN I GOT BACK HE WAS DOING AN ENG RUN WITH MAINT ON THE HEADSET ON THE GND. WHEN THAT WAS COMPLETE, I ASKED HIM WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED. HE SAID MAINT HAD CHKED THE ENG AND EVERYTHING WAS OK AND WE DID NOT NEED A WRITE-UP IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG. WE THEN TOOK OFF AND PROCEEDED TO OUR DEST. I GOT TO WONDERING ENRTE IF WE SHOULD HAVE MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY. I CONSULTED WITH THE MAINT PROCS THAT WE CARRY ONBOARD TO SEE IF I COULD GET SOME GUIDANCE. IT ONLY MADE THE CONFUSION WORSE. BECAUSE MAINT WAS CALLED I THINK MAYBE A WRITE-UP WAS REQUIRED, BUT SINCE NO PROB WAS FOUND AND NO CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN I DO NOT BELIEVE A WRITE-UP WAS REQUIRED. THE INFO IN THE MANUALS THAT I HAVE IS NOT CLR AND ALLOWAS FOR MANY GRAY AREAS. I FEEL THAT THE FAA'S INTENTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS SHOULD BE MADE VERY CLR.

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.