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 prone to various failures, including leaks, cracks, and vapor lock, across multiple aircraft types.
Many reported failures occur with very low total time on the component, some resulting in critical events like engine stoppage or significant oil loss.
While visual oil leaks are common indicators, instrument warnings may not always be present due to component placement, potentially leading to emergency landings.

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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.