Narrative:

Climbing through FL270 on J169 just east of thermal I noticed the left engine oil temperature indicator at 170. (Maximum limit for this aircraft is 165 degrees). I notified my captain who then pulled out the quick reference handbook and initiated the appropriate emergency procedures which eventually called for a precautionary engine shutdown. The shutdown was performed by the checklist, an emergency was declared and the captain requested present position to ontario international airport. While the quick reference handbook procedure says to land at the 'nearest suitable' airport (which, in our case, was palm springs) we preferred ontario. This is because at the time of the incident we were on a perfect 3:1 descent profile for ontario, but would have had to circle near mountainous terrain to get into palm springs. This illustrates a flaw in the wording of the procedure. Clearly ontario was the better choice -- with both engines out we could have dead-sticked it safely to ont. I can't say that with certainty about the 'nearest suitable' of psp. Also during the incident the captain summoned a deadheading captain to the cockpit to back us up with the checklist after we had performed the designated procedures. The captain took the controls during the descent. I reviewed the appropriate checklists and the captain made an uneventful single engine landing. All along we suspected an indicator failure, but we assumed nothing and treated the high oil temperature indication as 'real.' supplemental information from acn 203218. Asked for equipment to be standing by. Informed #1 flight attendant of the problem and that we are going back to ont and to prepare for landing. Appraised the passengers of the situation. Called dispatch and informed them of the problem and going to ont. If there was a high oil temperature light to back up the oil temperature gauge, might not have had to shutdown the engine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN PERFORMED AFTER FO NOTES #1 OIL TEMP HIGHER THAN ALLOWED.

Narrative: CLBING THROUGH FL270 ON J169 JUST E OF THERMAL I NOTICED THE L ENG OIL TEMP INDICATOR AT 170. (MAX LIMIT FOR THIS ACFT IS 165 DEGS). I NOTIFIED MY CAPT WHO THEN PULLED OUT THE QUICK REF HANDBOOK AND INITIATED THE APPROPRIATE EMER PROCS WHICH EVENTUALLY CALLED FOR A PRECAUTIONARY ENG SHUTDOWN. THE SHUTDOWN WAS PERFORMED BY THE CHKLIST, AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE CAPT REQUESTED PRESENT POS TO ONTARIO INTL ARPT. WHILE THE QUICK REF HANDBOOK PROC SAYS TO LAND AT THE 'NEAREST SUITABLE' ARPT (WHICH, IN OUR CASE, WAS PALM SPRINGS) WE PREFERRED ONTARIO. THIS IS BECAUSE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WE WERE ON A PERFECT 3:1 DSCNT PROFILE FOR ONTARIO, BUT WOULD HAVE HAD TO CIRCLE NEAR MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN TO GET INTO PALM SPRINGS. THIS ILLUSTRATES A FLAW IN THE WORDING OF THE PROC. CLRLY ONTARIO WAS THE BETTER CHOICE -- WITH BOTH ENGS OUT WE COULD HAVE DEAD-STICKED IT SAFELY TO ONT. I CAN'T SAY THAT WITH CERTAINTY ABOUT THE 'NEAREST SUITABLE' OF PSP. ALSO DURING THE INCIDENT THE CAPT SUMMONED A DEADHEADING CAPT TO THE COCKPIT TO BACK US UP WITH THE CHKLIST AFTER WE HAD PERFORMED THE DESIGNATED PROCS. THE CAPT TOOK THE CTLS DURING THE DSCNT. I REVIEWED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND THE CAPT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENG LNDG. ALL ALONG WE SUSPECTED AN INDICATOR FAILURE, BUT WE ASSUMED NOTHING AND TREATED THE HIGH OIL TEMP INDICATION AS 'REAL.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 203218. ASKED FOR EQUIP TO BE STANDING BY. INFORMED #1 FLT ATTENDANT OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT WE ARE GOING BACK TO ONT AND TO PREPARE FOR LNDG. APPRAISED THE PAXS OF THE SITUATION. CALLED DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND GOING TO ONT. IF THERE WAS A HIGH OIL TEMP LIGHT TO BACK UP THE OIL TEMP GAUGE, MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD TO SHUTDOWN THE ENG.

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