Precautionary in-flight engine shutdown. Continued to destination.

Attributes
ACN	91091
Time
Date	198807
Day	Tue
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fra
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j7
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	91091
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

FL330 cruise power noticed #1 engine oil temperature indicator go to red line 170 degrees C. In accordance with operating manual, executed a precautionary shutdown of #1 engine, oil pressure, quantity and all other indications were normal. Pilots discussed various diverts and suitable fields. Decision was made to continue to lax. Declared emergency with ZLA. Obtained priority handling for and an uneventful single engine visual approach and landing to lax 25R followed. Due to bakersfield being only a few mi away, it might have been a better idea to orbit overhead, descending and landing there in the event of #2 engine failure. But, both pilots felt the problem was an indicator malfunction. Later maintenance confirmed that a wire had broken loose on oil temperature indicator. Other than our decision to continue to lax, all other aspects of flight were uneventful and in no way unsafe at any time. Our altitude passing ehf was still in excess of FL270 and we felt we would always be in gliding distance of an airfield, such as bakersfield, palmdale, bur, lax, etc.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRECAUTIONARY INFLT ENGINE SHUTDOWN. CONTINUED TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: FL330 CRUISE PWR NOTICED #1 ENG OIL TEMP INDICATOR GO TO RED LINE 170 DEGS C. IN ACCORDANCE WITH OPERATING MANUAL, EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN OF #1 ENG, OIL PRESSURE, QUANTITY AND ALL OTHER INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. PLTS DISCUSSED VARIOUS DIVERTS AND SUITABLE FIELDS. DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE TO LAX. DECLARED EMER WITH ZLA. OBTAINED PRIORITY HANDLING FOR AND AN UNEVENTFUL SINGLE ENG VISUAL APCH AND LNDG TO LAX 25R FOLLOWED. DUE TO BAKERSFIELD BEING ONLY A FEW MI AWAY, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A BETTER IDEA TO ORBIT OVERHEAD, DSNDING AND LNDG THERE IN THE EVENT OF #2 ENG FAILURE. BUT, BOTH PLTS FELT THE PROB WAS AN INDICATOR MALFUNCTION. LATER MAINT CONFIRMED THAT A WIRE HAD BROKEN LOOSE ON OIL TEMP INDICATOR. OTHER THAN OUR DECISION TO CONTINUE TO LAX, ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF FLT WERE UNEVENTFUL AND IN NO WAY UNSAFE AT ANY TIME. OUR ALT PASSING EHF WAS STILL IN EXCESS OF FL270 AND WE FELT WE WOULD ALWAYS BE IN GLIDING DISTANCE OF AN AIRFIELD, SUCH AS BAKERSFIELD, PALMDALE, BUR, LAX, ETC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.