Piper PA 46-350P accident near Marion, Iowa, February 11, 2014
On February 11, 2014 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1990 Piper PA 46-350P, registered N350AR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Marion, Iowa (Marion Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to attain a touchdown on the runway’s hard surface, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 2014 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Marion, Iowa · Marion Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 46-350P, built 1990 · all PA 46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N350AR · registry record · serial 4622109
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that, after the nosewheel touched down during landing, he applied the right rudder and brake but that he was unable to keep the airplane from veering left into a 2-foot-high snow bank several feet off the runway. Runway witness marks showed that the right landing gear wheel touched down in snow and gravel off the right side of the runway's hard surface and that the left landing gear wheel touched down on the runway's hard surface. Both wheels then skidded left and off the runway. Examinations revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,193 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 2,153 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 26, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,575 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,663 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 3,875 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMY Fort Meyers FL at 1:25 pm
- Destination: C17 Marion IA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 35, 3,775 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 280° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point -9°F (-23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 8:52 pm from CID, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 7, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo 1. Runway (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 2. Nosewheel Structure (Photo Courtesy of Beegles Aircraft Service) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.