# Accident 20171125022439A: Piper PA-34-220T, Ebensburg, PA, November 25, 2017 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: November 25, 2017, 12:45 local time - Place: Ebensburg, PA - Airport: Ebensburg Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Other, Specify - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 40.4850° N, 78.7247° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4850&lon=-78.7247&mi=10 - Aircraft: N263DM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N263DM-2019-07-16) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-34-220T (registry code 7103420, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-220t) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-220T - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 4 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 432 total, 277 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA18LA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA032) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171125022439A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 1745Z HOURS (1245LOCAL) APPROXIMATELY 1-MILE NORTH OF EBENSBURG AIRPORT (9G8) EBENSBURG, PA. THE PILOT NOTIFIED THE CAMBRIA COUNTY 911 CALL CENTER BY CELL PHONE FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT AND HIS DAUGHTER THROUGH PHONE CONVERSATION GUIDED EMERGENCY PERSONNEL TO THE SITE OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WERE FOUR (4) FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE AIRCRAFT, ALL FOUR (4) INDIVIDUALS WHERE TAKEN BY AMBULANCE AND HELICOPTER TO CONEMAUGH HOSPITAL LOCATED IN JOHNSTOWN, PA, WITH NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED NEAR BEULAH ROAD, APPROXIMATELY .4 MILES BACK AN ACCESS TRAIL FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA GAME LANDS. IT WAS HEADED AT AN ANGLE OF 176 DEGREES, 1 MILE FROM THE EBENSBURG AIRPORT, RUNWAY 7. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. IT INITIALLY IMPACTED THE TREES LEFT WING LOW APPROXIMATELY 1800 FEET FROM WHERE THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST. THE RIGHT WING HAD A SECONDARY STRIKE SEPARATING THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE WING FROM THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE INITIAL IMPACT. THE LEFT WING WAS SEPARATED AND BENT BACK AND UPWARD WHERE THE LEADING EDGE WAS FACING THE CABIN AREA OF THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH ENGINES WERE INTACT. BOTH PROPELLERS HAD NO EVIDENCE OF EITHER ENGINE PRODUCING POWER. CONTROL CONTINUITY APPEARED TO BE IN PLACE WITH THE CONSIDERATION OF FLIGHT CONTROL DAMAGE. OIL LEVELS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT ENGINE DIP STICKS WERE BARELY VISIBLE INDICATING VERY LOW OIL. BOTH THROTTLES WERE PULLED BACK TO LEAN AND MIXTURE LEVERS WERE AT FULL RICH. THE RIGHT FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE ON POSITION AND THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE X (CROSSFEED) POSITION. THE LANDING GEAR SWITCH WAS IN THE UP POSITION. ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE ENGAGED. THE BATTERY SWITCH AND LEFT AND RIGHT ALTERNATORS WERE IN THE ON POSITION. THE LEFT ENGINE MAG SWITCHES WERE OFF AND THE RIGHT ENGINE MAG SWITCHES WERE ON. THE LANDING LIGHTS AND NAV LIGHT SWITCHES WERE OFF, THE PITOT HEAT SWITCH WAS ON, AND THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL PUMP SWITCHES WERE IN HIGH. THE HOBBS METER READ 3504. AFTER TWO DAYS, THE TREES SHOWED SOME EVIDENCE OF FUEL ATOMIZING FROM BOTH FUEL TANKS BEING RUPTURED DURING THE TREE STRIKES. THERE WAS NO RESIDUAL FUEL IN THE TANKS, AND THERE WAS NO FUEL SMELL IN THE SOIL WHERE THE REMAINS OF THE FUEL TANKS WHERE LOCATED. THE SHADIN FUEL FLOW INDICATOR WAS REMOVED FOR TESTING AND DATA REMOVAL BY THE NTSB. THE EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER WAS REMOVED AND DISABLED. THERE WAS NO INDICATION IT WAS TRANSMITTING. ON NOVEMBER 27, 2017, THE PILOT WAS INTERVIEWED AT THE CONEMAUGH HOSPITAL LOCATED IN JOHNSTOWN, PA. HE PROVIDED A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO INSPECTOR SHANNON. THE AIRCRAFT?S LEFT ENGINE EXPERIENCED LOW OIL PRESSURE AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE ON APPROACH TO (9G8) EBENSBURG AIRPORT, EBENSBURG, PA. AFTER A FAILED LANDING APPROACH TO RUNWAY 7 THE RIGHT ENGINE ALSO FAILED LEADING TO THE AIRCRAFT CRASHING IN A WOODED AREA. ## 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 ERA18LA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA032), Nov 25, 2017: Piper PA 34-220T (N263DM), Ebensburg, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper decision to fly an airplane with a known oil leak, which led to a total loss of engine power due to oil starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to land… 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.