Skymaster Arctic Circle Ditching.

[Skymaster337B]

If the valve covers required safetywire to lock the nuts down, then we wouldn't have this discussion. I've used RTV on these gaskets and find that helps alot.

[Diamond Service]

Hello Karl.
Thank you very much for sharing your expirience. All information like this help me to find answers and to heal my wounds. I am quite sure that my engines had the red silicone seals under the valve covers. I need to look in a computer in my maintenance shop for the pictures.

Rgds Troels.

[ipasgas1]

I, too, had an engine failure but in a single engine aircraft. It had a Rotax 912ULS engine. But, I have often wondered if the cold had something to do with the failure. The NTSB and Rotax said it was due to oil starvation due to a "collapse" of an oil hose. It was MLK day, 4 years ago, and happened to be the coldest day of the year, around 0 degrees F on the ground. I had no warning of the impending failure, it was sudden and finite. The extreme cold sounds like a very likely culprit. I now fly a skymaster for the added engine but I still, and moreso after this, will not fly in extreme cold.

[Dave Underwood]

A thought on being prepared.

When I used to fly in Northern Ontario I was always reminded to be prepared and to make sure I could survive with only what I had on me as I got out of the plane. The reasons were simple. The float plane could sink or the aircraft could go up in flames.

These days with portable transceivers, Personal Locator Beacons, cell phones and multitools with powerful LED lights it is much easier.

Perhaps we should all consider what we need to have on us in that very worst case.

Can I also wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Great New Year with bright blue skies and more reasonable gas prices.

Warm regards - Dave

[JeffAxel]

just looking at stuff and came across Cessna Service Bulletin ME79-2 which may have a bearing on this accident. It addresses use of Prist or Isopropyl Alcohol as a fuel additive in very cold conditions.

[atsiii]

The pilot's observed decline in oil temps followed by loss of pressure, caught my attention; as has the resulting discussion of possible oil loss. I'll offer my two-cents worth: one for each engine.

I had an oil separator installed on the rear engine of my '69 T337. Twice during long (3+ hour), high altitude, winter-cold cross-country legs, I lost four quarts of oil from the rear engine. The oil was literally everywhere. I finally determined that the probable cause was the breather running from the separator to where it vents by the prop had frozen, pressurizing the case and forcing oil out every available seal, gasket and orifice. It seems like there is or should be an alternate vent to atmosphere, but perhaps it was covered or plugged. At any rate, because it happened twice, I removed the oil separator, insulated the breather line and never had the problem again. I can't swear, however, that I again flew in as cold of temps.

The only oil anomaly I've ever had with the front engine was the result of the oil fill cap not being reinstalled properly after adding oil. The cap came off in flight (retained by its chain), and the engine proceeded to dump three-plus quarts of oil out the breather tube, completely coating the belly of the a/c. This occurred during a high altitude three-plus hour cross-country leg, but it was not particularly cold.

Like everyone else, I was relieved to hear that all were safe.

Allen

[billsheila]

I was speaking to my mechanic about this failure, so these are really his two cents: he suggests it is oil flow problem due to congealing (at the cooler, presumably?). Seems to make some sense given the temp indication followed by the pressure indication (followed by the failures)