Gang,
Yesterday morning I had a brief chance to sneak out and get a
flight in between work and meeting the rest of the family out for
breakfast. I was out over the practice area about 6 miles from the
airport at about 3000'. Just sort of burning holes in the sky and
practicing steep turns and roll reversals. I was looking down the left
wing at the ground and back to the instruments and then up out for a scan
of the horizon. And much to my surprise I could barley see out the front
canopy as it was covered with oil. I rolled level and was pointed
directly at the home field. A quick glance at the EIS showed the engine
running normal yet even though it seemed to be dumping a large amount of
oil over board. I had been running at full throttle and I reduced it
down. I called in to report 5 miles out for a straight inn. A few seconds
latter a instructor over the airport called 1000' over the field with a
simulated engine out. I called him back and requested a delay as I was
rapidly loosing visibility. I held speed at 140 mph and seemed really
high at 2 miles out. I slowed to about 110 and dropped full flaps. The
sink rate and speed bleed off great and over the numbers at 70 for one of
the shortest touch downs yet. All seemed good with the instruments so I
taxied right to the hanger and shut down. Smoke poured out of the cowl.
There was a big stream of oil from the spinner over the top and to the
windscreen. The oil started pouring out of the cowl where the nose gear
comes out. I took the cowl off and did not find anything loose
disconnected. No broken seals that I could see yet. I put it away and
went to breakfast and didn't mention it to my wife or kids. I have not
gotten back to look it over but right now I think that the oil cooler
sprung a leak. All the oil was located right around it and below it.
I'll let everyone know what I find. I think that I lost near 2
quarts total. No temps were high or even above normal and the oil
pressure was still at 40# when I shut down.
More latter
Joe Horton, Coopersburg, PA.
joe.kr2s.buil...@juno.com
