Narrative:

I was flying a piper seneca and during my gauge scan I noticed the #2 engine showed abnormally low oil pressure. I had just checked the engine to contain 6 quarts of oil 2.8 flight hours before and knew that something was amiss. Due to my proximity to the ZZZ airport; I chose to make a precautionary landing and have the engine looked at. I was flying approximately 3200 ft and advised approach of my diversion and they gave me the frequency for ZZZ tower. I asked tower for expedited handling and was cleared to land on runway 28. As I rounded the cloud that was between my position and the airport; I looked down and noticed what looked like runway 28. I performed my gumps check and lined up on final when I noticed that it was runway 23. I advised tower that I was lined up on the wrong runway and the controller cleared me to land on runway 23 because there was no wind at the airport. I landed approximately 1/3 the way down the runway but had reduced braking effectiveness due to new pads being installed on the airplane the day before. The plane also had asymmetric braking -- the left brake was more effective than the right brake; causing me to veer to the left each time I hit the brakes. I was able to stop the airplane on the runway but went into the overrun area by pumping the left brake and using full right rudder to keep the airplane on the runway. I did not knowingly hit any taxi lights but I did notice that the right landing gear door exhibited signs of unknown damage. I taxied to the holding area and had a mechanic look at the airplane; which had lost 4 quarts of oil in the #2 engine. The engine ran normally during the entire flight but I took the throttles to idle once I noticed the low oil pressure; and the throttles stayed in the idle position for the remainder of the flight. The one thing I would have done differently is to verify that I was lined up for runway 28 after having the airport in sight. When I noticed the oil pressure; I believed engine failure was imminent and wanted to get the airplane on the ground as soon as practicable; and seeing the runway numbers from the sky I thought that runway 23 looked like runway 28. Runway 28 was twice as long and twice as wide as runway 23. It would have been a better runway to use for an emergency; and I should have verified it better. This long runway would have negated any negative effect from diminished braking action. At the end of the day; I believe I did the right action in getting the airplane on the ground quickly; possibly saving the engine from total failure; but I came a lot closer to running off the end of the runway than I ever wanted to. If this situation happens again I will request airport information from the tower regarding the longest available runway. My cockpit workload was very high and I did not have time to do a full airport briefing from my 'ad' although it was in easy reach of me. I wanted to concentrate on flying the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA-34 JUST OUT OF MAINTENANCE HAS LOW OIL PRESSURE ON NUMBER 2 ENGINE. PLT ELECTS TO DIVERT AND HAVE MAINTENANCE ASSESS SIT. IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE HE EXPERIENCES DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING ACFT ON THE GROUND.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A PIPER SENECA AND DURING MY GAUGE SCAN I NOTICED THE #2 ENG SHOWED ABNORMALLY LOW OIL PRESSURE. I HAD JUST CHKED THE ENG TO CONTAIN 6 QUARTS OF OIL 2.8 FLT HRS BEFORE AND KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS. DUE TO MY PROX TO THE ZZZ ARPT; I CHOSE TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AND HAVE THE ENG LOOKED AT. I WAS FLYING APPROX 3200 FT AND ADVISED APCH OF MY DIVERSION AND THEY GAVE ME THE FREQ FOR ZZZ TWR. I ASKED TWR FOR EXPEDITED HANDLING AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 28. AS I ROUNDED THE CLOUD THAT WAS BTWN MY POS AND THE ARPT; I LOOKED DOWN AND NOTICED WHAT LOOKED LIKE RWY 28. I PERFORMED MY GUMPS CHK AND LINED UP ON FINAL WHEN I NOTICED THAT IT WAS RWY 23. I ADVISED TWR THAT I WAS LINED UP ON THE WRONG RWY AND THE CTLR CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 23 BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WIND AT THE ARPT. I LANDED APPROX 1/3 THE WAY DOWN THE RWY BUT HAD REDUCED BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS DUE TO NEW PADS BEING INSTALLED ON THE AIRPLANE THE DAY BEFORE. THE PLANE ALSO HAD ASYMMETRIC BRAKING -- THE L BRAKE WAS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THE R BRAKE; CAUSING ME TO VEER TO THE L EACH TIME I HIT THE BRAKES. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE AIRPLANE ON THE RWY BUT WENT INTO THE OVERRUN AREA BY PUMPING THE L BRAKE AND USING FULL R RUDDER TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE ON THE RWY. I DID NOT KNOWINGLY HIT ANY TAXI LIGHTS BUT I DID NOTICE THAT THE R LNDG GEAR DOOR EXHIBITED SIGNS OF UNKNOWN DAMAGE. I TAXIED TO THE HOLDING AREA AND HAD A MECH LOOK AT THE AIRPLANE; WHICH HAD LOST 4 QUARTS OF OIL IN THE #2 ENG. THE ENG RAN NORMALLY DURING THE ENTIRE FLT BUT I TOOK THE THROTTLES TO IDLE ONCE I NOTICED THE LOW OIL PRESSURE; AND THE THROTTLES STAYED IN THE IDLE POS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. THE ONE THING I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IS TO VERIFY THAT I WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 28 AFTER HAVING THE ARPT IN SIGHT. WHEN I NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE; I BELIEVED ENG FAILURE WAS IMMINENT AND WANTED TO GET THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE; AND SEEING THE RWY NUMBERS FROM THE SKY I THOUGHT THAT RWY 23 LOOKED LIKE RWY 28. RWY 28 WAS TWICE AS LONG AND TWICE AS WIDE AS RWY 23. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER RWY TO USE FOR AN EMER; AND I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED IT BETTER. THIS LONG RWY WOULD HAVE NEGATED ANY NEGATIVE EFFECT FROM DIMINISHED BRAKING ACTION. AT THE END OF THE DAY; I BELIEVE I DID THE RIGHT ACTION IN GETTING THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND QUICKLY; POSSIBLY SAVING THE ENG FROM TOTAL FAILURE; BUT I CAME A LOT CLOSER TO RUNNING OFF THE END OF THE RWY THAN I EVER WANTED TO. IF THIS SITUATION HAPPENS AGAIN I WILL REQUEST ARPT INFO FROM THE TWR REGARDING THE LONGEST AVAILABLE RWY. MY COCKPIT WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH AND I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DO A FULL ARPT BRIEFING FROM MY 'AD' ALTHOUGH IT WAS IN EASY REACH OF ME. I WANTED TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.