Within the general framework of hot tearing research during aluminium DC casting, specimens of alloy AA5182 were loaded in tension and deformed at temperatures between 500 and 580 degrees C and strain rates between 10(-5) - 10(-3) s(-1). At these temperatures the alloy is partially molten and the fraction liquid varies between 0.003 and 0.09. The fracture surfaces of the tensile specimens were studied by SEM. The specimen which cracked at 560 degrees C showed grains covered largely with a smooth layer which was molten at the time of fracture. However, the grain boundary surface was not entirely covered with a liquid film, as ductile fractured solid bridges connecting both sides of the crack were also observed. The fracture surface was further characterised by many small side cracks which are often (re)filled with liquid metal. Where this liquid metal feeding was insufficient a capillary meniscus is present. Further, in-situ observation of crack propagation was done on specimens which were loaded in tension in the SEM at 500 degrees C. These observations showed that fracture occurs almost exclusively along grain boundaries and also showed the occurrence of slip lines. The solid bridges were separated in a very ductile manner. These experimentally induced cracks were compared with hot tears developed in an AA5182 ingot during a casting trial in an industrial research facility.