# Incident 20030131001409I: Piper PA31350, Oakland, CA, January 31, 2003

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 31, 2003, 06:00 local time
- Place: Oakland, CA
- Airport: Metropolitan Oakland International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: JIKA
- Location: 37.8044° N, 122.2708° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Oakland, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.8044&lon=-122.2708&mi=10
- Aircraft: N29UM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N29UM-2025-08-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350
- Reported engine: LYC TIO540*
- Pilot flight hours: 1,806 total, 349 in this make and model, 207 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030131001409I

## Narrative

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

(-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.

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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