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View Poll Results: You find a puddle of oil 3" X 5" under your aircraft after you land. What do you do?
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Get back in the aircraft and fly 17.5 NM home?
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8 |
4.30% |
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Make a post to VAF asking what to do?
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3 |
1.61% |
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Phone your A&P Mechanic?
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0 |
0% |
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Pull cowl and investigate?
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170 |
91.40% |
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Find an A&P to investigate?
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1 |
0.54% |
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Other?
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4 |
2.15% |

09-03-2015, 01:11 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Port Orange, FL (7FL6)
Posts: 274
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Well, for me it's a radial. If there's no oil then that means it's out of oil 
__________________
Flying as of 1-12-2016!!!!!
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09-03-2015, 01:48 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Colorado
Posts: 243
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I see most folks would pull the cowl to investigate.
One thing to consider, you are not at your home airport. You have no tools and no proper place to do a genuine inspection. A puddle this size is going to probably be something serious. IMHO there is no point pulling the cowl with no tool and no proper working environment to tackle a problem that is most likely large scale. I noticed I'm the only one that (so far) that said find an AP
I still stand by my decision because an AP will have suitable tools and a suitable location to do a proper inspection and I'm sure will not mind you watching / helping
Then once you find the issue you can tackle it properly. No point in pulling the cowl only to say to yourself "Yep that sucks guess I'm going nowhere"
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09-03-2015, 02:15 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Lake Country, B.C. Canada
Posts: 2,416
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you're right, but hey, we're guys eh?
Rob is right, just like the folks who pull their car to the side of the road, and open the hood! ( 'check engine light' TOLD them to!!!!...yup, engine is STILL there!!)...what ARE you really expecting to find?
Well I guess there's no HARM in popping off the cowl.
Let's say you just added oil before the flight, and you can see that the oil you spilled has just now, with heat & slipstream, found it's way to the rear outlet of the cowl. (deduction; yes, I'm a slob.)
OP: but with the loss of 3/4 qt. obviously this is something else....unlikely, but not impossible, to rectify with an adjustable crescent and Phillips screwdriver, tie wire, duct tape, hose clamp, etc.
Some of the mechanics out there might say this is exactly what happens when you split the o-ring on the dipstick, or overfill the oil, or do a few rolls causing massive blow-by.
__________________
Perry Y.
RV-9a - SOLD!....
Lake Country, BC
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09-03-2015, 02:23 PM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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"Do the Math"
3" x 5" puddle is a really small amount of oil---------in the tablespoon ish realm.
Was there a big streak of oil on the belly also??? If you actually lost 24oz of oil, it went somewhere other than on the ground.
You lost 24 oz in 1.1 hours, or apx 22 oz per hour.
You are 17 miles from home-----------6 min?? taxi time another 9 or 10??? total of 15--16 min???? Call it a quarter hour.
At the rate you used the oil when you noticed the issue, you would only use another half pint or so.
Fly it home.
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
Last edited by Mike S : 09-03-2015 at 02:35 PM.
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09-03-2015, 02:36 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Watauga, TX
Posts: 148
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Oil puddle...
I agree with Mike S. that is a fairly small puddle, but for a short time frame that is a LOT of oil. I would look for oil elsewhere on the plane (belly, side of fuselage) then pull the cowl and investigate. But I am an A&P, and built my plane. Plus I never fly without enough tools to pull the cowl or make other minor repairs. However depending on the cause of the leak, you may have big decisions to make. Like The cracked crankcase in this event, I would not fly it home either.
__________________
John Goodloe
RV-8. N6279G
Pay in November
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09-03-2015, 02:41 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 164
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike S
3" x 5" puddle is a really small amount of oil---------in the tablespoon ish realm.
Was there a big streak of oil on the belly also??? If you actually lost 24oz of oil, it went somewhere other than on the ground.
You lost 24 oz in 1.1 hours, or apx 22 oz per hour.
You are 17 miles from home-----------6 min?? taxi time another 9 or 10??? total of 15--16 min???? Call it a quarter hour.
At the rate you used the oil when you noticed the issue, you would only use another half pint or so.
Fly it home.
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You're assuming the problem was present at the start of the flight and the oil was lost gradually over the 1.1 hours. The problem could have occurred just before the end of the flight and the oil could be lost rapidly in the flight home.
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09-03-2015, 02:59 PM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beav
You're assuming the problem was present at the start of the flight and the oil was lost gradually over the 1.1 hours.
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Yes, I am.
That is why I italicized the words " At the rate"
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
Last edited by Mike S : 09-03-2015 at 03:01 PM.
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09-03-2015, 03:53 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Cedar Park, TX
Posts: 3,156
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You guys do realize that this is a trick question and that there will be a dramatic ending soon. Condor just wants to see you squirm a little longer  .
__________________
Scott Card
CQ Headset by Card Machine Works
CMW E-Lift
RV-9A N4822C flying 2200+hrs. / Cedar Park, TX
RV8 Building - fuselage / showplanes canopy (Done!)
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09-03-2015, 04:05 PM
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Senior Curmudgeon
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Dayton Airpark, NV A34
Posts: 15,420
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scard
You guys do realize that this is a trick question and that there will be a dramatic ending soon. Condor just wants to see you squirm a little longer  .
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Yep, that is why I took the devils advocate stance 
__________________
Mike Starkey
VAF 909
Rv-10, N210LM.
Flying as of 12/4/2010
Phase 1 done, 2/4/2011 
Sold after 240+ wonderful hours of flight.
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
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09-03-2015, 04:21 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Hudson County, NJ
Posts: 1,092
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Quote:
Originally Posted by beav
You're assuming the problem was present at the start of the flight and the oil was lost gradually over the 1.1 hours. The problem could have occurred just before the end of the flight and the oil could be lost rapidly in the flight home.
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I would never fly a plane that had a known oil leak. Why would anyone that's not behind enemy lines risk a smallish problem becoming a critical problem in the air!?
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