# Accident 20230617011399A: Piper PA-30, Ebensburg, PA, June 17, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 17, 2023, 05:00 local time
- Place: Ebensburg, PA
- Airport: Ebensburg
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.4311° N, 78.7714° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.4311&lon=-78.7714&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7628Y, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7628Y) (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: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,268 total, 676 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA23FA270](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA270) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230617011399A

## Narrative

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

PILOT AND PASSENGER DEPARTED AIRPORT 9G8, ON 06/17/2023 AT 05:05(EST).

THE PILOT WAS A COMERCIAL RATED PILOT. THERE IS NO WEATHER REPORTING FOR 9G8. HOWEVER, AT THE TIME JST AIRPORT (9.2NM, TO THE SOUTH) WAS REPORTING 200' CIELINGS. CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF AIRPORT I.D. 9G8. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT. 2 S.O.B. WERE FATAL.

AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE TREES ON A HEADING OF 135 DEGREES WITH A HIGH ENERGY IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AND TREES, WHERE THE LEFT WING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT, LEFT ENGINE IMPACTED THE GROUND (DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT), APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET FURTHER THE RT ENGINE HIT A TREE AND DEPARTED THE AIRCRFT ALONG WITH THE RIGHT WING. THE EMPANAGE AND TAIL SECTIONS WERE DESTROYED AND A FIRE ENSUED AT THAT POINT. THE FUESLAGE AND NOSE, BOUNCED OFF THE GROUND AND THROUGH THE TREE TOPS FOR APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS, ON THE 135 DEGREE HEADING. THE NOSE SECTION AND FORWARD COCKPIT WERE FOUND INVERTED ON THE GROUND, ALONG WITH THE NLG. THE REST OF THE FUSELAGE WAS SCATTERED DEBRIS. THE DEBRIS PATH WAS APPROXIMATELY 60 YARDS WIDE AND 100 PLUS YARDS LONG. NO ELT WAS LOCATED. HOWEVER, A DAMAGED D CELL BATTERY WAS FOUND ALONG THE DEBRIS PATH. THE MAINTENANCE LOGS DO INDICATE AN ELT AK-450 WAS INSTALLED AND ITS POSSIBLE TO HAVE  D CELL TYPE BATTERIES INSTALLED.

## 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 ERA23FA270](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA270), Jun 17, 2023: Piper PA-30 (N7628Y), Ebensburg, PA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of airplane control, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.

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.