Cessna 172F accident near Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, August 30, 1983
On August 30, 1983 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N8399U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ebensburg, Pennsylvania (Ebensburg airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 1983 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Ebensburg, Pennsylvania · Ebensburg · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8399U · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT INITIATED A GO-AROUND DURING HIS FIRST LANDING ATTEMPT BECAUSE HE WAS TOO HIGH. DURING THE LANDING HE LANDED ABOUT 300 FT DOWN THE RWY. WHEN HE APPLIED BRAKES THEY WERE INEFFECTIVE & INSUFFICIENT RWY REMAINED TO INITIATE A GO-AROUND. THE ACFT RAN OFF THE END OF THE RWY INTO HIGH GRASS & COLLIDED WITH A DITCH. THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS VISUALLY INSPECTED & ALL SYSTEM COMPONENTS WERE FOUND TO BE WITHIN MANUFACTURER'S LIMITS EXCEPT FOR THE BRAKE DISCS WHICH WERE HEAVILY PITTED FROM RUST. THE WHEELS COULD BE ROTATED WITH FULL BRAKE PRESSURE APPLIED.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 323 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 11 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JST Johnson PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.