# Incident 19990530013859I: Piper PA28180, Rochester, NY, May 30, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 30, 1999, 07:00 local time
- Place: Rochester, NY
- Airport: Greater Rochester Internationa
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.1548° N, 77.6156° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Rochester, NY, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1548&lon=-77.6156&mi=10
- Aircraft: N15703, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N15703) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990530013859I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON SUNDAY, MAY 30, 1999, AT 0700 EDT, A PIPER PA 28-180, N15703, REGISTERED TO BILL LAW AVIATION, WAS CLEARED TO LAND AT THE ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND NOTICED THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO.  THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING IN FLIGHT.  THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED ON A SHOPPING MALL'S PARKING LOT.  THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.  THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP IN PALMYRA, NEW YORK FOR DISASSEMBLY.  THE DISASSEMBLY REVEALED CYLINDER #1 CONNECTING ROD CAP WAS FLAT.  THE CYLINDERS #1 AND #3 CONNECTING RODS WERE DISCOLORED FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT.  CYLINDER #3'S CONNECTING ROD CAP WAS CENTER MELTED.  THE CYLINDER #1 CONNECTING ROD, AFTER SEPARATING FROM THE CONNECTING CAP, CRACKED THE BOTTOM FORWARD ENGINE CASE.ALL ENGINE OIL WAS LOST THROUGH THE DAMAGED ENGINE CASE. PORTIONS OF THE CYLINDERS #1 AND #3 CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS MELTED TO THE CRANKSHAFT JOURNALS.  CYLINDERS #2 AND #4 HAD INDICATIONS OF BEING LUBRICATED.  THE #1 AND #3 CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS SPUN ON THE CRANKSHAFT CREATING FRICTION AND EXCESSIVE HEAT.  THE TORQUE WRENCHES USED TO ASSEMBLE THE ENGINE WERE NOT CALIBRA TED. THE ENGINE IS CONSIDERED UNSERVICABLE.  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^                 THE INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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