C172 in cruise at 2500 ft declared an emergency and diverted due to high engine and oil temperature.

Attributes
ACN	616218
Time
Date	200403
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz2.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz3.tracon tower : zzz2.tower tower : msy.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	departure : vfr enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7 flight time total : 175 flight time type : 175
ASRS Report	616218
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : engine temp & oil temp ind other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Following an engine upgrade, I was breaking in the new engine by doing a bay tour with a friend. Takeoff from ZZZ, all gauges indicating normal. Over ZZZ1 at 2000 ft, I noticed my engine temperature very high, but not yet in the red, all other gauges normal. As we got to about 2.3 mi from ZZZ2, at 2500 ft, my oil temperature was completely pegged in the red zone and all other gauges still read normal. I notified norcal I wanted to make an emergency approach to ZZZ2. They cleared me and gave me to ZZZ2 tower. ZZZ2 tower cleared me to land asking if I needed emergency assistance. I did not. On short final, the oil temperature finally came out of the red zone but I wanted to see what was wrong so we landed normally. Emergency vehicles met us and took our personal information and escorted us to the tower building. There was a gap between the baffling and the top of the cowling disturbing the air flow over the engine. We fixed that and replaced the oil just to be sure and my mechanic was satisfied. He signed a statement with the ZZZ2 tower/NASA auths and I was able to take off. I flew back to ZZZ without incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the high engine and oil temperature was caused by a cooling air baffle that was displaced during the engine work. The reporter said the baffle was secured at the diversion station and the oil changed. The reporter stated engine operation has been normal since the incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 IN CRUISE AT 2500 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO HIGH ENG AND OIL TEMP.

Narrative: FOLLOWING AN ENG UPGRADE, I WAS BREAKING IN THE NEW ENG BY DOING A BAY TOUR WITH A FRIEND. TKOF FROM ZZZ, ALL GAUGES INDICATING NORMAL. OVER ZZZ1 AT 2000 FT, I NOTICED MY ENG TEMP VERY HIGH, BUT NOT YET IN THE RED, ALL OTHER GAUGES NORMAL. AS WE GOT TO ABOUT 2.3 MI FROM ZZZ2, AT 2500 FT, MY OIL TEMP WAS COMPLETELY PEGGED IN THE RED ZONE AND ALL OTHER GAUGES STILL READ NORMAL. I NOTIFIED NORCAL I WANTED TO MAKE AN EMER APCH TO ZZZ2. THEY CLRED ME AND GAVE ME TO ZZZ2 TWR. ZZZ2 TWR CLRED ME TO LAND ASKING IF I NEEDED EMER ASSISTANCE. I DID NOT. ON SHORT FINAL, THE OIL TEMP FINALLY CAME OUT OF THE RED ZONE BUT I WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG SO WE LANDED NORMALLY. EMER VEHICLES MET US AND TOOK OUR PERSONAL INFO AND ESCORTED US TO THE TWR BUILDING. THERE WAS A GAP BTWN THE BAFFLING AND THE TOP OF THE COWLING DISTURBING THE AIR FLOW OVER THE ENG. WE FIXED THAT AND REPLACED THE OIL JUST TO BE SURE AND MY MECH WAS SATISFIED. HE SIGNED A STATEMENT WITH THE ZZZ2 TWR/NASA AUTHS AND I WAS ABLE TO TAKE OFF. I FLEW BACK TO ZZZ WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE HIGH ENG AND OIL TEMP WAS CAUSED BY A COOLING AIR BAFFLE THAT WAS DISPLACED DURING THE ENG WORK. THE RPTR SAID THE BAFFLE WAS SECURED AT THE DIVERSION STATION AND THE OIL CHANGED. THE RPTR STATED ENG OP HAS BEEN NORMAL SINCE THE INCIDENT.

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.