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20030131001409I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Oakland, CA · January 31, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 31, 2003 · 06:00 local
Place
Oakland, CA
Airport
Metropolitan Oakland International
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
JIKA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N29UM
Reported as
Piper PA31350
Reported engine
Lycoming TIO540*
Pilot’s flight hours
1,806 total349 in this make and model207 in the last 90 days
N29UMRegistration cancelled Aug 20, 2025 · Piper PA-31-350S/N 31-7652127 · Built 1976Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) While pilot, lauent-bert roussel was climbing through 3000 ft, the fo lorne lawry saw flames in the engine nacelle through the left vent of the right engine nacelle, and informed the pilot. Mr. Roussel shut down the right engine, then called ATC and declared an emergency while making a descending RH turn toward Oakland. Mr. Roussel stated he told Mr. Lawry to pull the emergency checklist and run him through the engine shutdown items. Once the engine was secured and the fire out, Mr. Roussel called dispatch on amerflights frequency, and was transferred to Oakland tower, where Mr. Roussel asked for the fire department to be on stand-by. The aircraft was taxied back to the amerflight ramp, where the LH engine was shut down. Maintenance foreman dave avery, stated the RH engine oil dipstick was missing from the engine, and was found 10 ft from the parking spot. The fo, lorne lawry stated his failure to replace the oil dipstick on the RH engine during the pre-flight inspection, resulted in the engine fire. The engine was inspected for fire damage, of which none was found. The engine was cleaned of displaced oil, serviced with 2 qts. Of oil, run up, and returned to service.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE PILOT, LAUENT-BERT ROUSSEL WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 3000 FT, THE FO LORNE LAWRY SAW FLAMES IN THE ENGINE NACELLE THROUGH THE LEFT VENT OF THE RIGHT ENGINE NACELLE, AND INFORMED THE PILOT. MR. ROUSSEL SHUT DOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE, THEN CALLED ATC AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WHILE MAKING A DESCENDING RH TURN TOWARD OAKLAND. MR. ROUSSEL STATED HE TOLD MR. LAWRY TO PULL THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST AND RUN HIM THROUGH THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN ITEMS. ONCE THE ENGINE WAS SECURED AND THE FIRE OUT, MR. ROUSSEL CALLED DISPATCH ON AMERFLIGHTS FREQUENCY, AND WAS TRANSFERRED TO OAKLAND TOWER, WHERE MR. ROUSSEL ASKED FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO BE ON STAND-BY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIED BACK TO THE AMERFLIGHT RAMP, WHERE THE LH ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN. MAINTENANCE FOREMAN DAVE AVERY, STATED THE RH ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK WAS MISSING FROM THE ENGINE, AND WAS FOUND 10 FT FROM THE PARKING SPOT. THE FO, LORNE LAWRY STATED HIS FAILURE TO REPLACE THE OIL DIPSTICK ON THE RH ENGINE DURING THE PRE-FLIGHT INSPECTION, RESULTED IN THE ENGINE FIRE. THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED FOR FIRE DAMAGE, OF WHICH NONE WAS FOUND. THE ENGINE WAS CLEANED OF DISPLACED OIL, SERVICED WITH 2 QTS. OF OIL, RUN UP, AND RETURNED TO SERVICE.