Date: 201405
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Aircraft: EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Aircraft component: Powerplant Lubrication System
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight; Pre-flight
Result: Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Company Policy
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: Flight delayed due to excessive oil found on underside of Engine 1 Cowl.  Maintenance opened cowl and a lot of watery liquid spilled out.  Maintenance cleaned off engine inside and out and ran engine.  Mechanics signed off aircraft as airworthy per Rolls Royce Manuals.  Oil quantity was 11 quarts but after takeoff dropped to 8 quarts.  On takeoff; E1 oil pressure indicated high and reached amber range; E1 HP vibrations indicated top of green.  Strong dirty sock smell.  Aircraft has history of E1 oil problems.  Returned to landing and all engine indications stayed within limitations.  Maintenance identified Rolls Royce and EMB had identified a 'dirty wet sock' smell as a problem and had issued operators a technical notice.  Pilots have not been given these notifications.  Aircraft airframe time over 35;000 hours with oil consumption problems.  Manufacturer has known of oil issues causing odors in the EMB; is so prevalent and chronic that it is known as the 'dirty wet gym sock smell.'  Manufacturers have notified operators through an Engineering Technical Notice to keep a watch on smells but this information and notice is not being given to pilots.  Pilots do not know of this identified problem known by Manufacturers.  Calling it 'dirty wet gym sock smell' lowers the perception of the severity of cockpit odors.  Excessive low oil quantity has been chronically written up in this aircraft.  But this aircraft was not on an oil watch.  No troubleshooting initiated by Maintenance such as what is the oil pressure doing and no inquiry as to other engine indications.  Logbook just shows Maintenance adding oil to the engine and no further actions.  Disseminate technical notices to pilots or have them available for pilots to access easily.  More than just servicing oil on an old high airframe time (over 35;000 hours) EMB with chronically low oil should be considered if safety is to be the primary precept of a passenger jet whose operator owes the highest duty of care to its passengers.  For example inquiries into other engine parameters should be investigated.  Known odor issues by the Manufacturer needs to get to the pilots.  Calling the odor problem 'just a bad smell of socks' does an injustice to the severity of the (known by the Manufacturer) odor events.




Synopsis: EMB-145 Captain believes the dirty sock smell prevalent in his aircraft type should be addressed and corrected. Just adding more oil when it becomes low is not satisfactory.