PA32-300 ACFT. RPTR PLT INDUCED OIL LEAK -- FORGOT TO REPLACE OIL DIPSTICK AFTER SERVICING OIL. OIL LEAKED OUT AFTER TKOF; RPTR RETURNED TO ARPT; FOUND PROB; CORRECTED AND CONTINUED.

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ON CLBOUT; I NOTICED A SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL STREAMING FROM THE OIL DOOR/LATCH ON THE TOP L SIDE OF THE COWLING. THE STREAM BEGAN TO INCREASE IN FLOW; AND I PROCEEDED TO TURN THE AIRPLANE AROUND AND RETURN TO SKAGWAY ARPT. THROUGHOUT THE APCH AND LNDG; THE OIL FLOW INCREASED AND COVERED OVER 3/4 OF THE L FRONT WINDSHIELD BY THE TIME THE AIRPLANE WAS SHUT DOWN AT THE GATE; THOUGH NO PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED LNDG OR TAXIING THE PLANE. TO MY EMBARRASSMENT AND HORROR; I REALIZED I HAD MADE A HORRIBLE BLUNDER. DURING MY PREFLT; I HAD CHKED THE OIL AND SAW IT WAS AT 8 QUARTS; 1 QUART LOWER THAN THE 9 QUART MINIMUM WHICH IS STANDARD. I THEN WENT INSIDE THE OFFICE AND RETRIEVED A QUART OF OIL AND PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPLANE. I LIFTED THE LATCH ON TOP OF THE COWLING; REMOVED THE DIPSTICK AND PLACED IT IN THE AIR INDUCTION SCOOP ON THE L FRONT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE; WHILE I POURED THE OIL. I HAD DONE THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE; FINDING IT TO BE A CONVENIENT HOLDER FOR THE DIPSTICK DURING THE PROCESS. I THEN LEFT THE AIRPLANE TO DISCARD OF THE EMPTY OIL CONTAINER AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE TO FINISH THE PREFLT. HOWEVER; I NEGLECTED TO REPLACE THE DIPSTICK BACK IN PLACE IN THE ENG; AND IT REMAINED IN THE INDUCTION SCOOP DURING TKOF. THIS ACCOUNTED FOR THE OIL FLOWING FROM THE COWLING. I CLEANED UP THE OIL UNDER THE COWLING; WINDSHIELD AND SURROUNDING AREA. I THEN RELATCHED THE COWLING; REPLACED THE QUART OF OIL TO THE REQUIRED 9 QUART LEVEL AND REPLACED THE DIPSTICK WITH A NEW APPROPRIATE ONE (THE ORIGINAL WAS NEVER FOUND). THE FACT THAT I HAD DONE THAT RTE SO MANY TIMES ALL SUMMER LONG AND WAS POSSIBLY GETTING COMPLACENT WITH MY DUTIES. ALSO; FATIGUE MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART IN IT AS WELL. WE FLY LONG HRS; 6 DAYS A WK AND I HAVE BEEN ON THE EARLY SCHEDULE A LOT IN THE WKS LEADING UP TO THIS EVENT. THE WX HAD BEEN MARGINAL DURING THE PERIOD WHICH CREATED AN ADDED STRESS TO OUR LONG DAYS. I WILL NO LONGER BE USING THE INDUCTION AIR SCOOP TO STORE THE DIPSTICK. WHEN IT IS OUT OF SIGHT; IT SEEMS TO BE MORE EASILY FORGOTTEN; OR OVERLOOKED.