Piper PA-24-260 accident near Spring Hill, Florida, April 16, 1994
On April 16, 1994 at about 12:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-260, registered N8572P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spring Hill, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ENCOUNTERED DURING A FORCED LANDING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADE'S PITCH CHANGE KNOB.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 1994 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Spring Hill, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N8572P · registry record · serial 24-4029
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE PILOT REPORTED A SEVERE VIBRATION. DURING THE FORCED LANDING THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER REVEALED THAT A PITCH CHANGE KNOB ON ONE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES WAS FAILED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FAILED PITCH CHANGE KNOB REVEALED THAT IT FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,865 hours in all; 420 in this make and model; 78 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 2,410 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,097 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 1993; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from TPA, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.