# Accident 20130622010619A: Piper PA-30, Idaho Falls, ID, June 22, 2013 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 22, 2013, 13:40 local time - Place: Idaho Falls, ID - Airport: Idaho Falls Regional Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 43.5081° N, 112.0689° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.5081&lon=-112.0689&mi=10 - Aircraft: N830SS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N830SS-2018-03-07) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30 - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 1,850 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR13FA281](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA281) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130622010619A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JUNE 22, 2013 AT 1340 MDT AIRCRAFT N830SS WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AT IDAHO FALLS REGIONAL AIRPORT (IDA). THE AIRCRAFT WAS FULL OF FUEL. THE SOULS ONBOARD INCLUDED THE PIC AND 2 PASSENGERS. WEATHER WAS VFR, WIND PREVAILING FROM 210 DEGREES @ 9 KTS. THE PILOT TAXIED AIRCRAFT TO THE RAMP AND CONTACTED ATC FOR CLEARANCE THE PILOT REQUESTED RUNWAY 17 FOR DEPARTURE AND STARTED THE ROLL OUT HEADING SOUTH. AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AT APPROXIMATELY 3000? DOWN THE RUNWAY. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF IT WAS REPORTED THE ENGINE OR ENGINES SPUTTER; ATC REPORTS HEARING A SURGING SOUNDS COMING FROM THE AIRCRAFT JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A HIGH BANK RIGHT TURN NEAR THE SOUTH END OF RUNWAY 17. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUING IN THE RIGHT TURN JUST CLEARING THE TOP OF AN OFFICE BUILDING WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 60?. THE AIRCRAFT IS REPORTED AT THIS POINT TO WOBBLE AND THEN MAKE A STEEP NOSE DOWN MANEUVER. THE AIRCRAFT IS BELIEVED TO BE IN A NOSE DOWN LEFT WING HIGH ATTITUDE WHEN IT INITIALLY CONTACTS THE GROUND. GROUND SCARING AND THE DEBRIS PATH SUPPORTS THE CONCLUSION THIS WAS THE ATTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AT INITIAL IMPACT. WITH THE REMAINING MOMENTUM, THE AIRCRAFT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE CARTWHEELED AND BROKE THE RIGHT HAND WING OFF ABOUT HALF WAY UP THE SPAN. THE AIRCRAFT TUMBLED; THE ROOF OF THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE FUSELAGE AND THE TAIL BOOM JUST AFT OF THE CABIN FOLDED AROUND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUSHED IN. THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST TOGETHER IN AND INVERTED POSITION WITH THE LEFT WING HIGH AND THE NOSE FACING WEST. THE CRASH SITES SIZE AND DEPTH INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK WHEN IT CONTACTED THE GROUND. THERE ARE 2 FATALITIES AND ONE SURVIVOR. THE POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWS THE FLAPS TO BE IN A DOWN POSITION AND THE GEAR IS UP. REMOVAL AND INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SUMP BOWLS L/H BEING THE MOST FORWARD OF THE TWO YIELDED EVIDENCE OF FUEL SYSTEM CONTAMINATION WITH WATER AND DEBRIS IN BOTH SYSTEMS. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SERVO AND PUMP LINE GOING TO THE FUEL DIVIDER ON THE INJECTION SYSTEM OF THE L/H ENGINE ALSO YIELDED EVIDENCE OF WATER AND DEBRIS CONTAMINATION. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION OF THIS AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMED ON MAY 11, 2013. THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE WAS CALCULATED UTILIZING AVAILABLE RECORDS AND REPORTED WEIGHTS OF PASSENGERS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS 177LBS OVER MAX GROSS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT SUMMARY: AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT POWER LOSS JUST AFTER TAKE-OFF, CANNOT DETERMINE WHETHER ONE OR BOTH ENGINES ARE SPUTTERING. SUSPECTED CAUSE OF POWER LOSS IS WATER AND DEBRIS IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. AIRCRAFT BEING OVER MAX GROSS COMPOUNDS THE ISSUE. (OPINION) PILOT INITIATED RIGHT HAND BANKING TURN EXPENDED AVAILABLE ENERGY FOR FORWARD MOTION AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BEGIN AN UNRECOVERABLE STALL SITUATION UNTIL AIRCRAFT CONTACTS TERRAIN. NOTED: PIC MEDICAL WAS EXPIRED/PILOT FLIGHT LOG RECORDS EITHER UNAVAILABLE OR NOT RECORDED SINCE 2004 ## 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 WPR13FA281](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA281), Jun 22, 2013: Piper PA-30 (N830SS), Idaho Falls, ID, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: A loss of power to the right engine during the initial climb due to fuel contamination and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the… 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.