Narrative:

On dec/mon/02, I was working a layover check on an aircraft. While checking oil quantity in the #1 engine oil tank, I found that the engine was over svced, and that the oil had a slight fuel smell. I contacted the maintenance coordination center, and found that oil had not been added to that engine since dec/thu/02. I also asked what the oil temperature trend looked like compared to the #2 engine, and was told that the oil temperature was trending lower in #1 engine than it was in the #2 engine. A second call to the maintenance coordination center informed me that the cause for an engine creating oil was the fuel-oil heat exchanger leaking internally. I then replaced the heat exchanger per amm 79-20-01-2 and signed the aircraft off as svcable. Later on the same day, I was informed that the aircraft, after returning to ZZZ, had a logbook write-up for low oil quantity in the #1 engine, and that the aircraft had been moved off the flight line for an engine change due to oil contamination. It was at this time, 'while talking to maintenance coordination' that I was informed of amm 72-00-00-3, which addresses oil dilution due to fuel contamination. I believe that a contributing factor in my not knowing about amm 72-00-00-3, is that it is incorrectly located in the aircraft maintenance manual. If I have a problem in the engine oil system, I am going to look in chapter 79, engine oil and not in chapter 72, engine general-servicing. I also believe that there should be some type of instruction or a reference in amm 79-20-01-2 stating that if the fuel/oil cooler is being changed for a suspected internal leak, that an oil dilution check needs to be accomplished. The corrective action I feel is needed in this case is a change in the aircraft maintenance manual to have an oil contamination check located in chapter 79 and a reference in the engine fuel/oil cooler, removal/installation instructions referencing the contamination check.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 L ENG FUEL AND OIL HEAT EXCHANGER WAS REPLACED FOR INTERNAL LEAKAGE. WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE DUE TO OIL CONTAMINATION CHK NOT ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: ON DEC/MON/02, I WAS WORKING A LAYOVER CHK ON AN ACFT. WHILE CHKING OIL QUANTITY IN THE #1 ENG OIL TANK, I FOUND THAT THE ENG WAS OVER SVCED, AND THAT THE OIL HAD A SLIGHT FUEL SMELL. I CONTACTED THE MAINT COORD CTR, AND FOUND THAT OIL HAD NOT BEEN ADDED TO THAT ENG SINCE DEC/THU/02. I ALSO ASKED WHAT THE OIL TEMP TREND LOOKED LIKE COMPARED TO THE #2 ENG, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE OIL TEMP WAS TRENDING LOWER IN #1 ENG THAN IT WAS IN THE #2 ENG. A SECOND CALL TO THE MAINT COORD CTR INFORMED ME THAT THE CAUSE FOR AN ENG CREATING OIL WAS THE FUEL-OIL HEAT EXCHANGER LEAKING INTERNALLY. I THEN REPLACED THE HEAT EXCHANGER PER AMM 79-20-01-2 AND SIGNED THE ACFT OFF AS SVCABLE. LATER ON THE SAME DAY, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ACFT, AFTER RETURNING TO ZZZ, HAD A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP FOR LOW OIL QUANTITY IN THE #1 ENG, AND THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN MOVED OFF THE FLT LINE FOR AN ENG CHANGE DUE TO OIL CONTAMINATION. IT WAS AT THIS TIME, 'WHILE TALKING TO MAINT COORD' THAT I WAS INFORMED OF AMM 72-00-00-3, WHICH ADDRESSES OIL DILUTION DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION. I BELIEVE THAT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN MY NOT KNOWING ABOUT AMM 72-00-00-3, IS THAT IT IS INCORRECTLY LOCATED IN THE ACFT MAINT MANUAL. IF I HAVE A PROB IN THE ENG OIL SYS, I AM GOING TO LOOK IN CHAPTER 79, ENG OIL AND NOT IN CHAPTER 72, ENG GENERAL-SVCING. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF INSTRUCTION OR A REF IN AMM 79-20-01-2 STATING THAT IF THE FUEL/OIL COOLER IS BEING CHANGED FOR A SUSPECTED INTERNAL LEAK, THAT AN OIL DILUTION CHK NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION I FEEL IS NEEDED IN THIS CASE IS A CHANGE IN THE ACFT MAINT MANUAL TO HAVE AN OIL CONTAMINATION CHK LOCATED IN CHAPTER 79 AND A REF IN THE ENG FUEL/OIL COOLER, REMOVAL/INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS REFERENCING THE CONTAMINATION CHK.

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.