The aircraft just had an annual done. The DAR can not issue an export C of A unless the annual is no more than 30 days old. The magnetos,prop governor and propeller were overhauled on both engines. The engines was serviced with Aeroshell 15W50.
During the cruise at 11000 feet the oil temperature was pretty much in the middle of the green arc. I was not concerned with the OAT being -30C since I have flown several pressurized twin Cessnas and Malibu 310 in colder conditions.
I did two test flights in Ohio. Some oil was noticed on the prop blades and I discussed it with the owner of the maintenance shop but we both considered it to be normal for a newly overhauled prop. We agreed that the seals in the props need some hours of operation and they will stop leaking. I did not notice any major oil leaks on the blades later on. I monitored the oil consumption on the engines very closely and they were not using much.
It feels to me like there was no oil left in the engines. The oil temperature decreased because there was no oil flowing past the sensor,but just enough to hold the pressure up a little while longer. There is a lot of ways to lose engine oil and I can only speculate. Why this happened to both engines within such a short period of time is also hard to answer.
I have more than 12000 hrs in the air. I have flown a lot of piston powered aircraft. I got my aircraft mechanic license in 1984. I am the owner of an aircraft maintenance shop that serves light aircraft. I search hard for some answers on what happened to my engines that night over the Hudson Strait. I am thankfull for all your comments but I also accept that I will probably never know for sure what happened. I want to buy another Skymaster but my family has suffered enough and for them the aircraft is a symbol of misfortune. I learned a lot from this accident. The equipment we had and the skills we had saved our life. My advise to pilots that fly over remote areas is to have the right equipment and use it. I also learned that what you have inside your suit is what you have left after a ditching. I know that the people that searched for me that night and the people that took care of me after I was saved is probably not in this forum but I want to thank them anyway. I am touched and lost for words on what they have done for me.
Troels.
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