Service difficulty report · Oil Cooler · Braero HS7482A

Difficulty date
November 16, 2004
Submitted
March 3, 2005
Operation
General aviation
Make and model
Braero HS7482A
Aircraft time
32,264 hours
Engine
Rroyce DART5342
Propeller
Rotol R2124304
Part
Oil Cooler
Part number
RK25198A
Part serial
F155
Condition
Leaking
Location
Lt Engine
Stage of operation
CR
How discovered
O
Nature of condition
K, J
Precautionary procedure
E

As reported to the FAA. Reports are unverified, and codes are left as the FAA publishes them.

What was found

(CAN) ENROUTE, THE LT OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND OIL PRESSURE WAS SEEN TO DROP. LT ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWNAND A/C LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED LT OIL COOLER WAS LEAKING AND ENGINE OIL CONTENTS WERE LOW. OIL COOLER WAS REPLACED, FILTER AND ENGINE CHECKS WERE CARRIED OUT, A/C RELEASED TO SERVICE. DURING PREVIOUS DAY AC HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WHILE ON GROUND. IT IS BELIEVED THAT SNOW ENTERED OIL COOLER BEFORE ENGINE COVERS COULD BE INSTALLED. THIS SNOW MELTED, THEN FROZE INSIDE COOLER MATRIX, CAUSING SOME OF MATRIX TUBES TO CRACK. NEXT DAY, WITH ENGINE RUNNING, THE ICE MELTED EXPOSING THE MATIX CRACKS, ALLOWING OIL LOSS AND, ULTIMATELY, LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE.