If I had zero oil pressure I’d first check the oil temperature… if it doesn’t rise or stays normal it’s probably only the oil pressure indication!
Would you bet on it? I know, it’s the german PPL textbook logic, but I wouldn’t care and land very very soon if I had a zero oil pressure indication.
I never quite followed the logic that a loss of oil pressure would necessarily go along with a change of oil temp.
It might, but it might just as well not.
A hangar mate of mine had the engine break and oil all over which reduced it to 0/0 visibility. He barely survived.
One keeps hearing that an engine will seize within minutes when lubrication stops. However, one would probably not turn off the engine in such a situation.
A few minutes is a few thousand feet extra in altitude. Worth having, generally.
On 2-stroke 1970s Yamaha motorbikes (lubed via oil in the fuel) when the oil ran out the engine would reportedly run really well (very little friction) for a few minutes and then suddenly seize up 
I do not think one can rely on oil temp or pressure to indicate a leak. It depends on where the leak is. Probably, one or the other figure will indicate something unusual, however, if you are getting a major oil leak and the oil has run out.
But if you have just a hole in the sump (say, the oil drain has popped open – which is why it should always be wirelocked) you will definitely know nothing about that until the sump level falls below the oil pump inlet hole and then the engine will be getting zero oil.
A hangar mate of mine had the engine break and oil all over which reduced it to 0/0 visibility.
What actually happened? Did a piston or conrod come up through the upper cowling? Otherwise, there is no reason to get oil over the window. On the TB20 upper cowling there is a silicone seal at just the right point, presumably for that very reason.
I would never turn an engine off until I landed, or it seized.
The precautionary events in the last twelve months or so include rough running, luckily over Thurrock, and oil pressure loss/ temperature rise near Earls Colne. Both recovered under partial power to these airfields.
Cranfield lost a Tomahawk to rough running – serious injuries to both occupants.
In the last three years one donkey did fail and landed in a field. No injuries and aircraft safely recovered.
A syndicate lost an Arrow last year after a go around at Panshanger when the pilot forgot to switch tanks.
Water contamination makes a regular appearance in the Aaib reports. So fuel related events can take various forms.
These aircraft run every day, nearly, and should, possibly, have a better MTBF than less frequently used engines.
Super Cubs aside, a 172 with a Sportsman STOL wing cuff will be able to carry out a forced landing at 35-40 knots into wind, which with airbags (and BRS ) makes for a compelling practical safety package.
Ideally you do want the engine shut down, secured, fuel off and electrics off in a forced landing.
Ideally a SE would either have low kinetic energy in a landing configuration, or BRS, or both.
I would also fly to an airfield if a saw zero oil pressure. If the prop stays at the set RPM then it’s clearly still getting oil pressure. In any event sudden zero readings are most often instrument or sender failures, It’s the pregressive drop in oil pressure with increasing temp that is really worrying, I’d still head for an airfield under low power though – engines can run for some time with no oil pressure.
Over the years I’ve had about 1 power loss per 300 hrs. – no catastrophic failures though. Never had to land off airfield.
Well, okay – it depends on other factors too. And, no, I have no idea what’s in the german PPL textbook (not anymore), it’s been experience with engines back from the time when I was still restoring sports cars. There was always a pretty linear connection between oil pressure and oil temperature. The higher the oil temperature gets the lower the pressure will be, and in engines with an oil sump (vs. dry sump) the oil temperature would go up when there was too little oil.
The logic is that the oil gets hotter if there is less oil circulating in the engine and cooling it,
But I guess I wouldn’t cross the Alpes or the Mediterranean either if i wasn’t completely sure.
Peter, in your post you imply that you do some of the annual work yourself. how this works? what could any of us legally do to a Cirrus which is otherwise normally made during an annual?
Anybody can work under A&P (or EASA66 if EASA-reg) supervision.
The pilot can alone do stuff within pilot privileges, which are similar for N-reg and EASA-reg. This covers the 50hr checks (no idea about the SR22 100hr checks) except for AD compliance.
Otherwise, a pilot can do stuff like removing and replacing inspection covers and having a look around. Most of the Annual involves that sort of thing.
Have a look at this video, after the 54th minute, for Timm Preusser presentation in 2013 about Cirrus in Europe.
Apparently there are 1000 Cirruses in Europe!
It also gives some hints why not many GA people in Europe participate (by writing, not just reading) to online forums like EuroGA or COPA: the english language could be a barrier for some.
