A B737-300 in cruise at FL310 declared an emergency and diverted. Shut down #1 engine due to engine ...

Attributes
ACN	600738
Time
Date	200311
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : zzz.vor
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	600738
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	601177
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At cruise altitude I noticed high oil temperature on the #1 engine. We broke out the book which directed us to the in-flight engine shutdown procedure. As we were going to this procedure in the book we noticed the oil temperature gauge was reading at zero and then the gauge blanked out altogether. We suspected a gauge problem at this time and elected to contact maintenance. During the connect via commercial radio the gauge went back to full temperature so we immediately accomplished the shutdown procedure. I had not been put in contact with maintenance yet so I aborted that and requested dispatch 'call me' via ACARS. Dispatch contacted us via commercial radio and also put maintenance on the line. We had by this time declared an emergency with ZZZ center and elected to divert to ZZZ2. We notified dispatch and maintenance of our intentions and proceeded to ZZZ2. We followed all the procedures listed in the book and made a landing on runway 25R in ZZZ2. We taxied to the gate without further incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the engine was shut down due to high oil temperature. The reporter said the temperature indicator was suspect as it dropped to zero and blanked out for a few mins then came back with a temperature that exceeded limits. The reporter stated that it presented a serious problem of trusting the indicator or ignoring the readings. The reporter said the engine was shut down per the checklist requirements and maintenance confirmed the oil temperature system had failed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 IN CRUISE AT FL310 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED. SHUT DOWN #1 ENG DUE TO ENG OIL TEMP EXCEEDING LIMITS. FAILED INDICATOR.

Narrative: AT CRUISE ALT I NOTICED HIGH OIL TEMP ON THE #1 ENG. WE BROKE OUT THE BOOK WHICH DIRECTED US TO THE INFLT ENG SHUTDOWN PROC. AS WE WERE GOING TO THIS PROC IN THE BOOK WE NOTICED THE OIL TEMP GAUGE WAS READING AT ZERO AND THEN THE GAUGE BLANKED OUT ALTOGETHER. WE SUSPECTED A GAUGE PROB AT THIS TIME AND ELECTED TO CONTACT MAINT. DURING THE CONNECT VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO THE GAUGE WENT BACK TO FULL TEMP SO WE IMMEDIATELY ACCOMPLISHED THE SHUTDOWN PROC. I HAD NOT BEEN PUT IN CONTACT WITH MAINT YET SO I ABORTED THAT AND REQUESTED DISPATCH 'CALL ME' VIA ACARS. DISPATCH CONTACTED US VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO AND ALSO PUT MAINT ON THE LINE. WE HAD BY THIS TIME DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZZZ CTR AND ELECTED TO DIVERT TO ZZZ2. WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH AND MAINT OF OUR INTENTIONS AND PROCEEDED TO ZZZ2. WE FOLLOWED ALL THE PROCS LISTED IN THE BOOK AND MADE A LNDG ON RWY 25R IN ZZZ2. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN DUE TO HIGH OIL TEMP. THE RPTR SAID THE TEMP INDICATOR WAS SUSPECT AS IT DROPPED TO ZERO AND BLANKED OUT FOR A FEW MINS THEN CAME BACK WITH A TEMP THAT EXCEEDED LIMITS. THE RPTR STATED THAT IT PRESENTED A SERIOUS PROB OF TRUSTING THE INDICATOR OR IGNORING THE READINGS. THE RPTR SAID THE ENG WAS SHUT DOWN PER THE CHKLIST REQUIREMENTS AND MAINT CONFIRMED THE OIL TEMP SYS HAD FAILED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A B737-300 in cruise at FL310 declared an emergency and diverted. Shut down #1 engine due to engine oil temperature exceeding limits. Failed indicator.