Narrative:

On ramp at departure gate, I notified captain that the oil quantity was below indicated quantity limits for ETOPS dispatch. He advised me to call maintenance. Maintenance was radioed and advised. A technician reported the aircraft had been properly svced but the indicating system was in error. I explained to the captain the indicated oil quantity was an ETOPS limitation. After much discussion including the international relief officer, the captain elected to depart under his authority/authorized without any further maintenance action and without any logbook write-up or corrective action. The flight proceeded without event. The return flight on the same aircraft, the aircraft was svced properly with proper oil indications.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B7673 CAPT DEPARTED FOR ETOPS FLT WHEN THE OIL QUANTITY WAS BELOW THE ETOPS REQUIREMENTS. MAINT TECHNICIAN ADVISED CAPT IT WAS SATISFACTORY.

Narrative: ON RAMP AT DEP GATE, I NOTIFIED CAPT THAT THE OIL QUANTITY WAS BELOW INDICATED QUANTITY LIMITS FOR ETOPS DISPATCH. HE ADVISED ME TO CALL MAINT. MAINT WAS RADIOED AND ADVISED. A TECHNICIAN RPTED THE ACFT HAD BEEN PROPERLY SVCED BUT THE INDICATING SYS WAS IN ERROR. I EXPLAINED TO THE CAPT THE INDICATED OIL QUANTITY WAS AN ETOPS LIMITATION. AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION INCLUDING THE IRO, THE CAPT ELECTED TO DEPART UNDER HIS AUTH WITHOUT ANY FURTHER MAINT ACTION AND WITHOUT ANY LOGBOOK WRITE-UP OR CORRECTIVE ACTION. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT EVENT. THE RETURN FLT ON THE SAME ACFT, THE ACFT WAS SVCED PROPERLY WITH PROPER OIL INDICATIONS.

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.