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Engine failure of an experimental home built 'long ez' during descent from high altitude due to a cracked oil cooler. Emergency declared.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 303800 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199505 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : fnt |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 28000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob tower : fnt |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Experimental |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other landing other other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 1325 flight time type : 120 |
| ASRS Report | 303800 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency other other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
After going up to FL280 for a system chkout of my long-ez, I began a descent and while going through FL250, the cabin filled with smoke. I didn't know what the cause was so I pulled all electrical power off, first thinking it may be an electrical fire. After opening the cabin air vent, I was getting less smoke in the cabin, so I decided to add selected electrical items back on-line to let ATC know what was going on. I was IMC at this time and, as the engine began to knock, I realized I had low oil pressure. At this time I declared an emergency and shortly after that the engine stopped. Using my GPS, I went straight to flint airport and circled over the airport. ATC was a big help. On final, as I was saving gear deployment till over the runway and in the rush of things forgot to deploy gear. ATC called gear check while I was on short final, which was a big help. Aircraft was not damaged on landing but engine compartment area was all wet with oil. After pulling the cowl, I cleaned the oil off and had an a&P look the engine compartment over for a leak. He found a crack in the oil cooler which caused the engine oil loss and stoppage of the engine. The smoke in the cabin was caused by the oil hitting the exhaust, then coming in through the cabin heater. I have been told that the oil cooler had an airworthiness directive on it. Unfortunately, experimentals do not get airworthiness directives sent to us, so I was not aware of this. I now have to check out the details of the airworthiness directive.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ENG FAILURE OF AN EXPERIMENTAL HOME BUILT 'LONG EZ' DURING DSCNT FROM HIGH ALT DUE TO A CRACKED OIL COOLER. EMER DECLARED.
Narrative: AFTER GOING UP TO FL280 FOR A SYS CHKOUT OF MY LONG-EZ, I BEGAN A DSCNT AND WHILE GOING THROUGH FL250, THE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE WAS SO I PULLED ALL ELECTRICAL PWR OFF, FIRST THINKING IT MAY BE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. AFTER OPENING THE CABIN AIR VENT, I WAS GETTING LESS SMOKE IN THE CABIN, SO I DECIDED TO ADD SELECTED ELECTRICAL ITEMS BACK ON-LINE TO LET ATC KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. I WAS IMC AT THIS TIME AND, AS THE ENG BEGAN TO KNOCK, I REALIZED I HAD LOW OIL PRESSURE. AT THIS TIME I DECLARED AN EMER AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE ENG STOPPED. USING MY GPS, I WENT STRAIGHT TO FLINT ARPT AND CIRCLED OVER THE ARPT. ATC WAS A BIG HELP. ON FINAL, AS I WAS SAVING GEAR DEPLOYMENT TILL OVER THE RWY AND IN THE RUSH OF THINGS FORGOT TO DEPLOY GEAR. ATC CALLED GEAR CHK WHILE I WAS ON SHORT FINAL, WHICH WAS A BIG HELP. ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED ON LNDG BUT ENG COMPARTMENT AREA WAS ALL WET WITH OIL. AFTER PULLING THE COWL, I CLEANED THE OIL OFF AND HAD AN A&P LOOK THE ENG COMPARTMENT OVER FOR A LEAK. HE FOUND A CRACK IN THE OIL COOLER WHICH CAUSED THE ENG OIL LOSS AND STOPPAGE OF THE ENG. THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN WAS CAUSED BY THE OIL HITTING THE EXHAUST, THEN COMING IN THROUGH THE CABIN HEATER. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE OIL COOLER HAD AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON IT. UNFORTUNATELY, EXPERIMENTALS DO NOT GET AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES SENT TO US, SO I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS. I NOW HAVE TO CHK OUT THE DETAILS OF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.
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.