MIA05CA092

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 337 B · Ocala, FL · April 13, 2005

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
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.

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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.

Hard landingTakeoff - aborted
Flare - improperPilot in commandCause

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.