Piper PA-34 N11HR

Summary

On 14 June 2008 at about 16:15 local time, a Piper PA-34 registered N11HR was involved in an accident near Ocala, Florida, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 June 2008 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Ocala, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Ocala International Airport (KOCF)

Coordinates

29.1703, -82.2211

Aircraft

Piper PA-34

Registration

N11HR

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Ocala

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC08LA060

Nobody was injured.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.