ENG FAILURE OF AN EXPERIMENTAL HOME BUILT 'LONG EZ' DURING DSCNT FROM HIGH ALT DUE TO A CRACKED OIL COOLER. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative

AFTER GOING UP TO FL280 FOR A SYS CHKOUT OF MY LONG-EZ; I BEGAN A DSCNT AND WHILE GOING THROUGH FL250; THE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE CAUSE WAS SO I PULLED ALL ELECTRICAL PWR OFF; FIRST THINKING IT MAY BE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. AFTER OPENING THE CABIN AIR VENT; I WAS GETTING LESS SMOKE IN THE CABIN; SO I DECIDED TO ADD SELECTED ELECTRICAL ITEMS BACK ON-LINE TO LET ATC KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. I WAS IMC AT THIS TIME AND; AS THE ENG BEGAN TO KNOCK; I REALIZED I HAD LOW OIL PRESSURE. AT THIS TIME I DECLARED AN EMER AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE ENG STOPPED. USING MY GPS; I WENT STRAIGHT TO FLINT ARPT AND CIRCLED OVER THE ARPT. ATC WAS A BIG HELP. ON FINAL; AS I WAS SAVING GEAR DEPLOYMENT TILL OVER THE RWY AND IN THE RUSH OF THINGS FORGOT TO DEPLOY GEAR. ATC CALLED GEAR CHK WHILE I WAS ON SHORT FINAL; WHICH WAS A BIG HELP. ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED ON LNDG BUT ENG COMPARTMENT AREA WAS ALL WET WITH OIL. AFTER PULLING THE COWL; I CLEANED THE OIL OFF AND HAD AN A&P LOOK THE ENG COMPARTMENT OVER FOR A LEAK. HE FOUND A CRACK IN THE OIL COOLER WHICH CAUSED THE ENG OIL LOSS AND STOPPAGE OF THE ENG. THE SMOKE IN THE CABIN WAS CAUSED BY THE OIL HITTING THE EXHAUST; THEN COMING IN THROUGH THE CABIN HEATER. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE OIL COOLER HAD AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON IT. UNFORTUNATELY; EXPERIMENTALS DO NOT GET AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES SENT TO US; SO I WAS NOT AWARE OF THIS. I NOW HAVE TO CHK OUT THE DETAILS OF THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.