Piper PA-34 accident near Ocala, Florida, June 14, 2008
On June 14, 2008 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-34, registered N11HR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Ocala, Florida (Ocala International Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued operation of the airplane with a known mechanical deficiency--a propeller that would feather at low power. Contributing to the accident was the uncommanded feathering of the propeller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2008 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ocala, Florida · Ocala International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34 · all PA-34s on the register
- Registration
- N11HR · registry record · serial 34-7970232
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the private pilot, who was on a personal cross-country flight, he was about 6-10 feet above the landing runway when the left engine's propeller feathered. He said that the airplane dropped hard onto the runway, collapsing the nose landing gear and driving it through the top of the fuselage. The pilot reported that during the past several months the left propeller would feather uncommanded when taxiing from landing. He said that on the advice of his mechanic he had the propeller overhauled, and then replaced the engine--neither of which fixed the problem. The pilot, in consultation with his mechanic, determined that the propeller would probably not feather in flight. The pilot said that he planned to land with extra power during the accident flight, but found himself high and long on final approach, and when he reduced engine rpm to idle, about 6-10 feet above the runway, the left propeller feathered.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller controlling system › Malfunction
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,250 hours in all; 1,655 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 5,149 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,567 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAXH Houston TX at 11:30 am
- Destination: KOCF Ocala FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 6,907 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,500 ft; a few clouds at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 4:15 pm from KOCF
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 ANC08LA060.