Piper PA 34-220T accident near Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, November 25, 2017
On November 25, 2017 at about 6:45 pm local time, a 1981 Piper PA 34-220T, registered N263DM, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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 with a tailwind, which led to his attempted go-around and subsequent loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 2017 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Ebensburg, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 34-220T 220T, built 1981 · all PA 34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N263DM · registry record · serial 348133101
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot stated that the airplane's left engine had recently started to leak a significant amount of oil; however, two mechanics looked at the engine the day before the accident flight, and the source of the leak could not be located. On the day of the accident, the pilot topped off his fuel tanks and put 2 quarts of oil in the left engine, bringing the oil level up to 7 quarts. He then departed on a long cross-country personal flight. About 10 to 15 miles from the destination airport, the left engine low-oil-pressure light came on. When the airplane was 5 miles from the airport, the left engine lost total power, and the propeller feathered. The pilot chose to land downwind due to having only one working engine; however, his approach was too fast and too high, so he decided to go around. As the airplane began a shallow climb, the pilot entered a left turn to avoid mountains. While in the turn, he realized that he was not going to make it back to the airport and increased the right engine's throttle to full power. This overboosted the turbocharger-equipped engine, which stopped producing power. The airplane stalled and impacted trees. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed streaks of oil on the top and under the left engine cowling just aft of the oil filler door. Oil was also observed under the left wing. The left engine's oil filler cap was still on the filler neck but did not seat properly and would partially lift off the seat if it was pulled upward. The cap's locking mechanism was corroded, and the locking tangs were bent. A teardown examination of the left engine revealed that the No.1 and No. 2 connecting rods had failed, and their associated crankshaft journals displayed heat distress, consistent with oil starvation. The No.1 piston exhibited signatures of detonation. It was not determined what caused the piston to detonate, but a download of the onboard engine analyzer revealed that the cylinder head temperature was higher on that cylinder for most of the accident flight. The exact source of the oil leak could not be determined based on available evidence. The pilot made an improper decision to fly the airplane with a known oil leak, which ultimately led to the total loss of engine power due to oil starvation. Further, although the pilot decided to land downwind due to having only one working engine, the tailwind was significant, and this decision led to his attempted go-around and loss of control.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach defining event
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around)
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 432 hours in all; 277 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 316 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 3, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,502.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2017; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,751 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Cont Motor LTSIO-360-KB (piston); 3,455 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor TSIO-360-KB (piston); 3,455 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DCY Washington IN at 4:00 pm
- Destination: 9G8 Ebensburg PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 16 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from JST
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA18LA032.