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A B737 flight crew decides to return land after noting a decrease in oil level and a flickering low level oil light for #2 engine in a night operation departure from bdl, ct.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 609982 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200402 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bdl.airport |
| State Reference | CT |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : y90.tracon tower : bdl.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude ground : preflight landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 609982 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : low level oil light & quantity gage other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Excessive loss of oil quantity indication. Aircraft arrived late. First officer informed me of slight oil leak under right engine. He also visually observed 2 drops under the engine and confirmed no further spillage. Left the gate with 12 quarts in right engine. After engine start, right engine showed 10 quarts and remained the same to takeoff, which is normal usage. In the climb after takeoff, we noticed that it dropped down to 3 quarts and low level oil light was blinking. Leveled off at 3500 ft and it returned to 9 quarts. I decided to return to the airport as it exceeded normal oil gulping levels, plus the fact that there had been oil spillage noticed on preflight. I felt that in the interest of safety and flying at night over water -- that I wanted the engine checked in case it was developing into a bigger leak and problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737 FLT CREW DECIDES TO RETURN LAND AFTER NOTING A DECREASE IN OIL LEVEL AND A FLICKERING LOW LEVEL OIL LIGHT FOR #2 ENG IN A NIGHT OP DEP FROM BDL, CT.
Narrative: EXCESSIVE LOSS OF OIL QUANTITY INDICATION. ACFT ARRIVED LATE. FO INFORMED ME OF SLIGHT OIL LEAK UNDER R ENG. HE ALSO VISUALLY OBSERVED 2 DROPS UNDER THE ENG AND CONFIRMED NO FURTHER SPILLAGE. LEFT THE GATE WITH 12 QUARTS IN R ENG. AFTER ENG START, R ENG SHOWED 10 QUARTS AND REMAINED THE SAME TO TKOF, WHICH IS NORMAL USAGE. IN THE CLB AFTER TKOF, WE NOTICED THAT IT DROPPED DOWN TO 3 QUARTS AND LOW LEVEL OIL LIGHT WAS BLINKING. LEVELED OFF AT 3500 FT AND IT RETURNED TO 9 QUARTS. I DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT AS IT EXCEEDED NORMAL OIL GULPING LEVELS, PLUS THE FACT THAT THERE HAD BEEN OIL SPILLAGE NOTICED ON PREFLT. I FELT THAT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY AND FLYING AT NIGHT OVER WATER -- THAT I WANTED THE ENG CHKED IN CASE IT WAS DEVELOPING INTO A BIGGER LEAK AND PROB.
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.