Oil Cooler Failures

The following is derived from maintenance facility submissions to the FAA’s Service Difficulty Reports database.

Aviation Safety

Friday, August 23, 2024 at 05:45 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipovic

Key Takeaways:

Aircraft oil coolers are susceptible to various failures (cracks, leaks, vapor lock) which can cause rapid oil loss, leading to engine stoppage or severe operational issues.
These failures are reported in both new/recently installed oil coolers (some with very low operating hours) and older units.
Visual pre-flight and post-flight inspections are crucial for detecting these failures, as instrument warnings, such as oil pressure, may not always indicate an issue due to cooler placement.

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Cessna 177 Cardinal

New Oil Cooler Failure

Sometime after engine start, the eight-hour-old oil cooler developed a leak, resulting in engine stoppage approximately two minutes into the flight. The result was an emergency descent and off-airport landing. According to the technician, because the oil cooler is downstream of the oil pressure gauge, there were no warning indications on instruments.