Piper PA46 accident near Clearwater, Florida, November 25, 2017
On November 25, 2017 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 2005 Piper PA46, registered N863RB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Clearwater, Florida (St Pete-Clearwater Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 2017 · about 6:15 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Clearwater, Florida · St Pete-Clearwater Intl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA46 500TP, built 2005 · all PA46s on the register
- Registration
- N863RB · no longer on the register · serial 4697213
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the turboprop airplane and an engine run-up with no anomalies noted. The takeoff roll and lift off from the runway were normal; however, when the pilot initiated a landing gear retraction, the engine torque decreased, but the rpm did not change. The torque then surged back to full power and continued to surge as the pilot attempted to return to the runway. The left wing of the airplane struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest in the grass on the side of the runway. Examination of the engine, engine accessories, and propeller revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation before the accident. The reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.
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 engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 20, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,341 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2017; 26 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,130 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A (turboprop); 1,341 hours total
- Operator: Belleaire LLC
The flight
- Departed from: PIE Clearwater FL at 6:15 pm
- Destination: PNS Pensacola FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 9,730 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:31 pm from PIE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on May 4, 2020. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Engine and Propeller Examination Report | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Accessory Examination Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records Excerpts | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Observations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Electronic Device Factual Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 8 | Wreckage Release and Evidence Control Forms | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N863RB: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Piper PA-46 Malibu, Mirage, Matrix and M-Class 1,693 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,839 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A 2,217 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- St. Pete-Clearwater International · nearest airport
- Pensacola International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 984 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,704 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA18LA031.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.