2025-10 · NASA ASRS report 2297414
A320 flight crew reported low oil quantity indications on initial climb and return to departure airport.
Going back about a week before this event happened; I flew to ZZZ1 and saw Aircraft X at a remote ramp. Contract Maintenance met us at the airplane that we flew in and I asked what is going on with Aircraft X? The contract Maintenance guy said that the right engine was just changed and a carbon seal let go and the engine lost 5 quarts of oil from the time it left the departure airport. About a week later; now I was flying Aircraft X. I looked at the history in the logbook to confirm my memory about the airplane & right engine. I briefed the FO (First Officer) about the history during the cockpit prep and the brief. Not only did we check the oil quantity at the gate; we also checked after starting the engine and before takeoff to see if there was any major change in oil quantity. Everything was normal until about 7000 feet when we got an advisory for low oil quantity (4.5 quarts) on the right engine. I asked the FO to tell ATC we want to level off at 8000 feet. By the time we got to 8000 feet the oil quantity was down to 2.0 quarts. I had a strong feeling that we were going to lose the engine soon; so I told the FO to tell ATC we are returning to the airport.We went through all of the procedures for returning back to the airport. We were an overweight landing so we did the overweight landing checklist. During the descent the oil quantity did rise to 6.0 quarts; but I figured it was due to the engine being at idle and not at climb power anymore.On final for the runway the oil quantity went up to about 12 quarts. By the time we parked at the gate the oil quantity went to 17 quarts. We wrote up the right engine for the oil quantity indication and the overweight landing. I then spoke to Dispatch.After we switched airplanes; our gate was right next to Aircraft X and we could see Maintenance had opened the right engine cowling and he was putting absorbent pads on the ground to soak up the fluid (I am assuming engine oil). I didn't ask for the FO to run the low engine oil advisory checklist because this engine had prior history of oil loss.
During our threats to flight brief; we had discussed a prior Maintenance write up about the right engine. It had an issue where it lost 5 quarts of oil due to a carbon seal. I had briefed to the Captain that on my walk around that I had checked that there was no signs of visual oil leaks from both engines; as this is part of what I look for when I visually check the oil chip detector. As well as below the engine on the tarmac for any fluids and there were none. From here on out operational parameters were normal. During taxi out and takeoff oil qty was normal till we were at around 7000 feet about to be cleared to our first nav fix ZZZZZ intersection. It was at this time that I saw the oil advisory flashing the qty and I watched it drop from 18 steadily down to 4 then quarts; and then 2 by around 8000 ft. Due to the prior history of the oil loss the decision to return was made and I then had to set up the FMS to land XXL and run the overweight procedure and also have the single engine straight in approach procedure briefed in case we lost the right engine. From the next gate over when we were in the flight deck I saw fluid dripping from the right engine. Maintenance were putting down what looked like white paper towels or some cloth that was laid down to dry up that fluid. As safety is my number one concern; I believe the Captain made the right decision to return to ZZZ due to prior oil leaks with the right engine on Aircraft X.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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