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OEI landing DA42

Coming back from Sardinia yesterday, after one hour and a half into the flight I got indication on low coolant level in left engine. I continued the flight with increased attention to temperatures. After 30 min coolant temperature in left engine started to rise slowly but still in green. Then in next 30 min it rose above 100 degrees and went into yellow arc. It was 30 min before landing, I advised ATC, asked for priority in landing (sorry Croatia Airlines for 10 min holding over PIS), decreased the power on left engine and started descent. However the temperature didn’t go down and I started to lose coolant from left engine – it could be seen leaking from the engine – and I decided to shut the left engine down in order to prevent damage. Landing was easy, passengers were calm and cooperative, taking video clip. I phoned mechanic and we agreed he would come in following days to check what had caused the problem.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

These are the moments in life when a second engine is worth it’s weight in gold.

EDDS - Stuttgart

Well, yes – i admit that a second engine is great in such a case. Fortunately my IO-550 can’t lose coolant … but it did cross my mind a couple of times flying over the Aegean sea for some hours in the last days wht it would be like to have an engine failure with no ship in sight.

Well done! Definitely a lot better than having an engine suddenly quit during go-around.

LFPT, LFPN

I had a similiar occurence. Essentially a non wired bolt came adrift lodged itself in the water pump belt which disintegrated, the water overheated and discharged itself through the purge valve all in quick time. I am still not convinced how certain you can be of a fire not ensuing, and at the time I was in doubt about the POH which did not specify the engine being shut down and secured just that the power should be retarded. It does grab your attention.

I shall be interested to see whether the mechanic requires the engine to be replaced – in my case it was.

Last Edited by Fuji_Abound at 08 Jun 14:39

POH which did not specify the engine being shut down and secured just that the power should be retarded.

Retarding to 10% of load didn’t help and retarding it further doesn’t make sense because it doesn’t produce thrust while producing the drag, so shuting down was obvious choice.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

I shall be interested to see whether the mechanic requires the engine to be replaced – in my case it was.

Hm … that will speed up my project of switch to 2.0s engines some 2 years before I planned and wanted it. I’m not quite happy with that but that’s life.

LDZA LDVA, Croatia

Why would you replace the engine when you shut it down because it was about to overheat?

This is the single biggest problem with auto-converted engines: a liquid cooling system failure takes the engine out very quickly.

So does an over-temp event require complete engine replacement ?

FAA A&P/IA
LFPN

Emir said the coolant temperature was in the yellow arc when he shut down the engine…

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