Narrative:

When we were about 140 NM north of ZZZ2 and in our initial descent through the mid or high 20's; I noticed the oil temperature on the left engine was higher than the right engine and rising. I noticed that at about 167 degrees C or so the white numeric indication for the left engine changed from white numeric to amber; but it never exceeded 170 degrees C (initially). The throttles were in the idle position. I did an engine comparison with left side and right side. After comparing sides; everything appeared normal with the exception that the left engine oil temperature was high. I did notice that the left engine was indicating 9 quarts of oil while the right engine was indicating 11 quarts. Other than that; everything else seemed normal and within parameters. Since my first officer was the PF; I told him to go ahead and bring the left throttle out of idle and see if that made a difference on the oil temperature and it did; but every time he brought the throttle to idle; the oil temperature on the left engine would start to rise. I then realized that we could actually control the temperature with the left throttle by keeping it out of flight idle. I told the first officer to keep the left throttle out of idle throughout the descent. Once we reached 5000 ft and had a visual on the airport; ZZZZ tower cleared us for the visual approach and told us to report established on a base leg. So we set ourselves up for a left base; at which point we got the oil filter bypass on the upper EICAS. At that point I told the first officer that I would monitor the left engine closely and also told him to go directly to the runway. Once we were established on a modified left base at an altitude of 2500 ft and about 4-5 mi from the airport; I then made a statement to my first officer that if the situation on the left engine deteriorated; that I might have to shut the engine down. And sure enough; about 3-5 mins from touchdown; I noticed that the oil temperature was rising rapidly on the left engine and the oil quantity and oil pressure decreasing rapidly. I told my first officer that we were losing oil quantity and oil pressure and that I was shutting down the left engine. At time of the shutdown; we were about 2-3 mi from the airport. Right after I shut the engine down; I informed the tower of our situation and told them to roll out the trucks as a precaution. Once established on final; since the first officer was PF and doing a nice job; I asked him if he was ok with continuing to fly the aircraft. He replied that he was fine. On final; my first officer pushed the switch for the gear override instead of the flap override which were right next to each other. Other than that; the landing was uneventful. After landing; we cleared the runway and I asked the tower if they saw anything unusual coming out of our left engine (ie; smoke; fire; etc). They replied no. So I elected to taxi to our gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FLT CREW SHUT DOWN LEFT ENGINE DURING ARR TO DUE TO RISING OIL TEMP AND EICAS FILTER BYPASS MSG.

Narrative: WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 140 NM N OF ZZZ2 AND IN OUR INITIAL DSCNT THROUGH THE MID OR HIGH 20'S; I NOTICED THE OIL TEMP ON THE L ENG WAS HIGHER THAN THE R ENG AND RISING. I NOTICED THAT AT ABOUT 167 DEGS C OR SO THE WHITE NUMERIC INDICATION FOR THE L ENG CHANGED FROM WHITE NUMERIC TO AMBER; BUT IT NEVER EXCEEDED 170 DEGS C (INITIALLY). THE THROTTLES WERE IN THE IDLE POS. I DID AN ENG COMPARISON WITH L SIDE AND R SIDE. AFTER COMPARING SIDES; EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT THE L ENG OIL TEMP WAS HIGH. I DID NOTICE THAT THE L ENG WAS INDICATING 9 QUARTS OF OIL WHILE THE R ENG WAS INDICATING 11 QUARTS. OTHER THAN THAT; EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMED NORMAL AND WITHIN PARAMETERS. SINCE MY FO WAS THE PF; I TOLD HIM TO GO AHEAD AND BRING THE L THROTTLE OUT OF IDLE AND SEE IF THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE ON THE OIL TEMP AND IT DID; BUT EVERY TIME HE BROUGHT THE THROTTLE TO IDLE; THE OIL TEMP ON THE L ENG WOULD START TO RISE. I THEN REALIZED THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY CTL THE TEMP WITH THE L THROTTLE BY KEEPING IT OUT OF FLT IDLE. I TOLD THE FO TO KEEP THE L THROTTLE OUT OF IDLE THROUGHOUT THE DSCNT. ONCE WE REACHED 5000 FT AND HAD A VISUAL ON THE ARPT; ZZZZ TWR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND TOLD US TO REPORT ESTABLISHED ON A BASE LEG. SO WE SET OURSELVES UP FOR A L BASE; AT WHICH POINT WE GOT THE OIL FILTER BYPASS ON THE UPPER EICAS. AT THAT POINT I TOLD THE FO THAT I WOULD MONITOR THE L ENG CLOSELY AND ALSO TOLD HIM TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE RWY. ONCE WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON A MODIFIED L BASE AT AN ALT OF 2500 FT AND ABOUT 4-5 MI FROM THE ARPT; I THEN MADE A STATEMENT TO MY FO THAT IF THE SITUATION ON THE L ENG DETERIORATED; THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO SHUT THE ENG DOWN. AND SURE ENOUGH; ABOUT 3-5 MINS FROM TOUCHDOWN; I NOTICED THAT THE OIL TEMP WAS RISING RAPIDLY ON THE L ENG AND THE OIL QUANTITY AND OIL PRESSURE DECREASING RAPIDLY. I TOLD MY FO THAT WE WERE LOSING OIL QUANTITY AND OIL PRESSURE AND THAT I WAS SHUTTING DOWN THE L ENG. AT TIME OF THE SHUTDOWN; WE WERE ABOUT 2-3 MI FROM THE ARPT. RIGHT AFTER I SHUT THE ENG DOWN; I INFORMED THE TWR OF OUR SITUATION AND TOLD THEM TO ROLL OUT THE TRUCKS AS A PRECAUTION. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON FINAL; SINCE THE FO WAS PF AND DOING A NICE JOB; I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS OK WITH CONTINUING TO FLY THE ACFT. HE REPLIED THAT HE WAS FINE. ON FINAL; MY FO PUSHED THE SWITCH FOR THE GEAR OVERRIDE INSTEAD OF THE FLAP OVERRIDE WHICH WERE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER. OTHER THAN THAT; THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG; WE CLRED THE RWY AND I ASKED THE TWR IF THEY SAW ANYTHING UNUSUAL COMING OUT OF OUR L ENG (IE; SMOKE; FIRE; ETC). THEY REPLIED NO. SO I ELECTED TO TAXI TO OUR GATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.