- Date
- April 13, 2005, 13:58 local (17:58 UTC)
- Place
- Ocala, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N463DACessna 337 B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 7, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20050413007889A
- Case key
- 61332
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper landing flare during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in a hard landing and damage to the airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that during the engine run up check he discovered the rear engine shutdown. He restarted the rear engine, leaned the fuel mixture and performed a magneto check. He taxied to the hold short line for runway 26, then announced his departure on the airport Unicom frequency and positioned the airplane onto the runway. He partially advanced the rear engine throttle and the airplane moved forward. He heard an aircraft reporting final and was not certain if the broadcast was for runway 26 or 36. Not certain for which runway, he advanced both throttles forward. The airplane accelerated to 70 knots and was about 1,000 feet down the runway when he rotated. The airplane lifted off the ground; however the airplane did not accelerate. He glanced inside the cockpit and saw the fuel mixtures were not full forward. He advanced the mixtures and looked outside of the cockpit. The airplane was about 2/3 down and about 100 feet above the runway. He elected to abort the takeoff at that point. He retarded the throttles, selected the flaps full up to get airplane on its wheels, as soon as the wheels touched down, the airplane slammed into the ground at a nose high attitude. He believes the airplane bounced once coming to rest on its nose and propeller in the dirt; about 50 feet from the left edge and 500 feet past the end of the runway. He secured the airplane and exited through the enter door. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident. Runway 26 at the Ocala International Airport is published 3,010 foot long runway.
Factual narrative
On April 13, 2005, about 1358 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 337, N463DA, registered to Datum Earth Aerial Surveys and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, landed hard during an aborted takeoff at the Ocala International Airport, Ocala, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot received no injuries and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time.
The pilot stated he checked the oil levels in the engines and sumped the fuel on the accident airplane before starting the front engine and taxied from the parking space. He later started the rear engine on the taxiway. During the engine run up check he discovered the rear engine shutdown. He restarted the rear engine, leaned the fuel mixture and performed a magneto check. He taxied to the hold short line for runway 26 and announced his departure on the airport unicom frequency, then advanced onto the runway. He partially advanced the rear engine throttle, the aircraft moved forward. He heard an aircraft reporting final and was not certain if the broadcast was for runway 26 or 36. Not certain for which runway, he advanced both throttles forward. The airplane accelerated to 70 knots and was about 1,000 feet down the runway when he rotated. The airplane lifted off the ground; however the airplane did not accelerate. He glanced inside the cockpit and saw the fuel mixtures were not full forward. He advanced the mixtures and looked outside of the cockpit. The airplane was about 2/3 down and about 100 feet above the runway. He elected to abort the takeoff at that point. He retarded the throttles and selected the flaps full up to get the airplane on its wheels, as soon as it touched down, the airplane "slammed" into the ground at a slightly nose high attitude. The airplane bounced once coming to rest on its nose and propeller in the dirt; about 50 feet from the left edge and 500 feet past the end of the runway. He secured the airplane and exited through the enter door. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident. Runway 26 at the Ocala International Airport is published 3,010 foot long runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N463DA
- Reported as
- Cessna 337 B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M337-0325
- Engines
- Continental IO-360-d, reciprocatingContinental IO-360-D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- George C. Keeler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- OCF · Ocala, FL
- Destination
- OCF · Ocala, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- OCF · Ocala International -JimTaylor, runway 26
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 11,621 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 16 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- KOFC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.