Narrative:

Aircraft departed dal approximately XA15 for high altitude flight on IFR flight plan. During climb at about FL280, PNF/captain noticed the singular engine fuel temperature gauge was solidly in the yellow arc, and slowly getting hotter. We had been cleared to FL410 when I instructed the PF/copilot to ask center for FL350 while I checked the afm and the simuflite checklist. The afm states the fuel temperature is allowed in the yellow arc for 15 mins -- with no other directives. The simuflite checklist does not address this malfunction. I requested ZFW to route us back to dallas and assign us a lower altitude. We were cleared directly to fingr intersection and FL240 and the remainder of the fingr 3 STAR. We made a normal descent as per the STAR. WX was VFR, daylight, light traffic. All other aircraft system were normal. During the descent we throttled back the affected engine to flight idle, but the gauge moved to the red line and did not show any signs of decreasing. I directed the PF to shut down the engine and we continued the descent via ATC's instructions. The aircraft had no other opdevs, or required any other considerations. When asked initially by center what our difficulties were, I told them we were operating with reduced power from #1 engine and did not require any special handling. The return routing took us directly to love field with a normal landing and taxi in. I reported what happened to the aviation manager and 5 mins later we were taxiing out in a different gii that had been prepped and preflted by our department personnel. A malfunction of this nature is very rare. The engine fuel temperature controller is affixed to the engine and supplied with main air duct hot air. There is no cockpit control of its function. Other than our attempt to reduce the gauge indication by reducing power and then shutting down the engine, no other procedures are possible. Numerous times we've been told during recurrent training that this gauge has a 15 min limitation in the yellow arc and requires a whole engine fuel system overhaul if the red line was reached. 3 days later this engine is now coming off the airframe as per gulfstream maintenance procedures. The maintenance manuals allow a more generous time limitation, but I could not positively state how long the engine had operated above normal before I noticed it. This gauge is located in the gii in an obscure location above the copilot's position right knee, and is not connected to the annunciator system. The pilot cannot see this gauge from his position, and this gauge is not a checklist item. With respect to this flight, I am certain that we operated within the scope of far part 91 while making a normal descent and return to landing. There is no other way to ascertain the accuracy of this gauge. You have to honor what it is telling you. Further operation of this engine once it reached the line would have compromised the engine core and possibly lead to total failure. At no time during the return to landing did I feel the skin was in danger or required any emergency declaration. At the time of this flight, the fuel temperature gauge is not listed as a checklist item. I am changing that now to be included in 'before takeoff' and during 'climb' to be incorporated in my check. Right now checking this gauge is hit or miss, depending on the scan habits or patterns of each crew member. I'm glad I did not have to deal with this at 30 degrees west or over the amazon at night!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLF2 CREW HAD HIGH FUEL TEMP WHICH RESULTED IN AN INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN IN ZFW CLASS A AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED DAL APPROX XA15 FOR HIGH ALT FLT ON IFR FLT PLAN. DURING CLB AT ABOUT FL280, PNF/CAPT NOTICED THE SINGULAR ENG FUEL TEMP GAUGE WAS SOLIDLY IN THE YELLOW ARC, AND SLOWLY GETTING HOTTER. WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL410 WHEN I INSTRUCTED THE PF/COPLT TO ASK CTR FOR FL350 WHILE I CHKED THE AFM AND THE SIMUFLITE CHKLIST. THE AFM STATES THE FUEL TEMP IS ALLOWED IN THE YELLOW ARC FOR 15 MINS -- WITH NO OTHER DIRECTIVES. THE SIMUFLITE CHKLIST DOES NOT ADDRESS THIS MALFUNCTION. I REQUESTED ZFW TO RTE US BACK TO DALLAS AND ASSIGN US A LOWER ALT. WE WERE CLRED DIRECTLY TO FINGR INTXN AND FL240 AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FINGR 3 STAR. WE MADE A NORMAL DSCNT AS PER THE STAR. WX WAS VFR, DAYLIGHT, LIGHT TFC. ALL OTHER ACFT SYS WERE NORMAL. DURING THE DSCNT WE THROTTLED BACK THE AFFECTED ENG TO FLT IDLE, BUT THE GAUGE MOVED TO THE RED LINE AND DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNS OF DECREASING. I DIRECTED THE PF TO SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT VIA ATC'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE ACFT HAD NO OTHER OPDEVS, OR REQUIRED ANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. WHEN ASKED INITIALLY BY CTR WHAT OUR DIFFICULTIES WERE, I TOLD THEM WE WERE OPERATING WITH REDUCED PWR FROM #1 ENG AND DID NOT REQUIRE ANY SPECIAL HANDLING. THE RETURN ROUTING TOOK US DIRECTLY TO LOVE FIELD WITH A NORMAL LNDG AND TAXI IN. I RPTED WHAT HAPPENED TO THE AVIATION MGR AND 5 MINS LATER WE WERE TAXIING OUT IN A DIFFERENT GII THAT HAD BEEN PREPPED AND PREFLTED BY OUR DEPT PERSONNEL. A MALFUNCTION OF THIS NATURE IS VERY RARE. THE ENG FUEL TEMP CONTROLLER IS AFFIXED TO THE ENG AND SUPPLIED WITH MAIN AIR DUCT HOT AIR. THERE IS NO COCKPIT CTL OF ITS FUNCTION. OTHER THAN OUR ATTEMPT TO REDUCE THE GAUGE INDICATION BY REDUCING PWR AND THEN SHUTTING DOWN THE ENG, NO OTHER PROCS ARE POSSIBLE. NUMEROUS TIMES WE'VE BEEN TOLD DURING RECURRENT TRAINING THAT THIS GAUGE HAS A 15 MIN LIMITATION IN THE YELLOW ARC AND REQUIRES A WHOLE ENG FUEL SYS OVERHAUL IF THE RED LINE WAS REACHED. 3 DAYS LATER THIS ENG IS NOW COMING OFF THE AIRFRAME AS PER GULFSTREAM MAINT PROCS. THE MAINT MANUALS ALLOW A MORE GENEROUS TIME LIMITATION, BUT I COULD NOT POSITIVELY STATE HOW LONG THE ENG HAD OPERATED ABOVE NORMAL BEFORE I NOTICED IT. THIS GAUGE IS LOCATED IN THE GII IN AN OBSCURE LOCATION ABOVE THE COPLT'S POS R KNEE, AND IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE ANNUNCIATOR SYS. THE PLT CANNOT SEE THIS GAUGE FROM HIS POS, AND THIS GAUGE IS NOT A CHKLIST ITEM. WITH RESPECT TO THIS FLT, I AM CERTAIN THAT WE OPERATED WITHIN THE SCOPE OF FAR PART 91 WHILE MAKING A NORMAL DSCNT AND RETURN TO LNDG. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO ASCERTAIN THE ACCURACY OF THIS GAUGE. YOU HAVE TO HONOR WHAT IT IS TELLING YOU. FURTHER OP OF THIS ENG ONCE IT REACHED THE LINE WOULD HAVE COMPROMISED THE ENG CORE AND POSSIBLY LEAD TO TOTAL FAILURE. AT NO TIME DURING THE RETURN TO LNDG DID I FEEL THE SKIN WAS IN DANGER OR REQUIRED ANY EMER DECLARATION. AT THE TIME OF THIS FLT, THE FUEL TEMP GAUGE IS NOT LISTED AS A CHKLIST ITEM. I AM CHANGING THAT NOW TO BE INCLUDED IN 'BEFORE TKOF' AND DURING 'CLB' TO BE INCORPORATED IN MY CHK. RIGHT NOW CHKING THIS GAUGE IS HIT OR MISS, DEPENDING ON THE SCAN HABITS OR PATTERNS OF EACH CREW MEMBER. I'M GLAD I DID NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS AT 30 DEGS W OR OVER THE AMAZON AT NIGHT!

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.