Narrative:

A landing was made at lwm as a result of a near emergency situation. The oil pressure was fluctuating extremely erratically and oil temperature was rising! Oil in small quantities had been visible on the windshields at times in flight in progress from brookhaven airport, long island, ny. My destination point of flight, first leg, would be sanford, me, which would give adequate reserve fuel and be a more or less midway point for my final destination--bangor international, me. As I entered massachusetts area I noted erratic pressure impulses on oil gauge, and then the oil temperature started a gradual and constant rise. I immediately started to look for first available airport--and then saw lwm. On my handheld set I tried for a clearance to land, but I received no response. I then made a shallow circle (to stay out of traffic) and attempted to land short, so as to stay out of traffic. I landed short and as a result I 'ground looped,' doing very minor damage to the right wing--a small scratched area on underside of wing. On landing after stopping and on inspection of oil on aircraft, it was found that the oil leak was caused by ground crew not returning cap to full lock position and oil and cap were lost causing this failure and major loss of oil! I believe in the interest of safety I had no choice but to land at this time! To continue flight with this condition could cause an unscheduled landing west/O plan and possible damage and danger. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: tower had filed an incident report reference to the aircraft operating west/O a radio. FAA office was contacted and is not taking any action due to the circumstances. Aircraft was pushed off the runway by the reporter and an FBO cleaned the oil off the fuselage, serviced the oil and fuel and he departed a couple of hours later. Oil cap and drip stick were found at his departure point and had been noticed coming out by another aircraft on the ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ACCOUNT RISE IN OIL TEMPERATURE AND FLUCTUATING PRESSURE. LNDG AT CONTROLLED ARPT WITHOUT RADIO ON ACFT.

Narrative: A LNDG WAS MADE AT LWM AS A RESULT OF A NEAR EMER SITUATION. THE OIL PRESSURE WAS FLUCTUATING EXTREMELY ERRATICALLY AND OIL TEMP WAS RISING! OIL IN SMALL QUANTITIES HAD BEEN VISIBLE ON THE WINDSHIELDS AT TIMES IN FLT IN PROGRESS FROM BROOKHAVEN ARPT, LONG ISLAND, NY. MY DEST POINT OF FLT, FIRST LEG, WOULD BE SANFORD, ME, WHICH WOULD GIVE ADEQUATE RESERVE FUEL AND BE A MORE OR LESS MIDWAY POINT FOR MY FINAL DEST--BANGOR INTL, ME. AS I ENTERED MASSACHUSETTS AREA I NOTED ERRATIC PRESSURE IMPULSES ON OIL GAUGE, AND THEN THE OIL TEMP STARTED A GRADUAL AND CONSTANT RISE. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO LOOK FOR FIRST AVAILABLE ARPT--AND THEN SAW LWM. ON MY HANDHELD SET I TRIED FOR A CLRNC TO LAND, BUT I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I THEN MADE A SHALLOW CIRCLE (TO STAY OUT OF TFC) AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND SHORT, SO AS TO STAY OUT OF TFC. I LANDED SHORT AND AS A RESULT I 'GND LOOPED,' DOING VERY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING--A SMALL SCRATCHED AREA ON UNDERSIDE OF WING. ON LNDG AFTER STOPPING AND ON INSPECTION OF OIL ON ACFT, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE OIL LEAK WAS CAUSED BY GND CREW NOT RETURNING CAP TO FULL LOCK POS AND OIL AND CAP WERE LOST CAUSING THIS FAILURE AND MAJOR LOSS OF OIL! I BELIEVE IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO LAND AT THIS TIME! TO CONTINUE FLT WITH THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG W/O PLAN AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE AND DANGER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: TWR HAD FILED AN INCIDENT RPT REF TO THE ACFT OPERATING W/O A RADIO. FAA OFFICE WAS CONTACTED AND IS NOT TAKING ANY ACTION DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES. ACFT WAS PUSHED OFF THE RWY BY THE RPTR AND AN FBO CLEANED THE OIL OFF THE FUSELAGE, SERVICED THE OIL AND FUEL AND HE DEPARTED A COUPLE OF HRS LATER. OIL CAP AND DRIP STICK WERE FOUND AT HIS DEP POINT AND HAD BEEN NOTICED COMING OUT BY ANOTHER ACFT ON THE GND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.