# Accident 20150227002619A: Piper PA-28R-200, Vassar, MI, February 27, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 27, 2015, 14:19 local time
- Place: Vassar, MI
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.2600° N, 83.6600° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.2600&lon=-83.6600&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2837R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2837R-2015-09-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-200 (registry code 7102811, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28R-200
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 221 total, 139 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN15LA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA157) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150227002619A

## Narrative

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

PILOT HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 1 HR PRIOR TO ACCIDENT, WITH PRACTICE APPROACHES AND TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS AT 2 AIRPORTS.

AFTER LEVELING AT 3,000' MSL, ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOSE POWER. PILOT DECLARED EMERGENCY AND ATTEMPTED TO GLIDE TO A NEARBY AIRPORT. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT REACH THE INTENDED AIRPORT, PILOT SELECTED A SNOW COVERED FIELD AND EXECUTED A GEAR UP LANDING APPROXIMATELY MID-FIELD.  AIRCRAFT SLID ON SNOW-COVERED FIELD AND IMPACTED TREES AT FAR END WITH SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND NO INJURIES.

ENGINE DISASSSEMBLY REVEALED CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL DAMAGE DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION.  NO EVIDENCE OF OIL LEAKAGE OR EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION WAS NOTED. UNDETERMINED CAUSE OF LOW OIL QUANTITY.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN15LA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA157), Feb 27, 2015: Piper PA 28R-200 (N2837R), Frankenmuth, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the engine due to a lack of oil lubrication for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examinations.

## Other reports on N2837R (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19830719047649I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830719047649I), Jul 19, 1983: Piper PA28R200 (N2837R), Lansing, MI. Took off after an oil leak was corrected. Engine siezed for lack of oil. No other oil leaks found.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.