| Crash location | 29.176389°N, 82.229167°W |
| Nearest city | Ocala, FL
29.187199°N, 82.140092°W 5.4 miles away |
| Tail number | N463DA |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 13 Apr 2005 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 337 B |
| Additional details: | None |
On April 13, 2005, about 1358 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 337, N463DA, registered to Datum Earth Aerial Surveys and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, landed hard during an aborted takeoff at the Ocala International Airport, Ocala, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The commercial-rated pilot received no injuries and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time.
The pilot stated he checked the oil levels in the engines and sumped the fuel on the accident airplane before starting the front engine and taxied from the parking space. He later started the rear engine on the taxiway. During the engine run up check he discovered the rear engine shutdown. He restarted the rear engine, leaned the fuel mixture and performed a magneto check. He taxied to the hold short line for runway 26 and announced his departure on the airport unicom frequency, then advanced onto the runway. He partially advanced the rear engine throttle, the aircraft moved forward. He heard an aircraft reporting final and was not certain if the broadcast was for runway 26 or 36. Not certain for which runway, he advanced both throttles forward. The airplane accelerated to 70 knots and was about 1,000 feet down the runway when he rotated. The airplane lifted off the ground; however the airplane did not accelerate. He glanced inside the cockpit and saw the fuel mixtures were not full forward. He advanced the mixtures and looked outside of the cockpit. The airplane was about 2/3 down and about 100 feet above the runway. He elected to abort the takeoff at that point. He retarded the throttles and selected the flaps full up to get the airplane on its wheels, as soon as it touched down, the airplane "slammed" into the ground at a slightly nose high attitude. The airplane bounced once coming to rest on its nose and propeller in the dirt; about 50 feet from the left edge and 500 feet past the end of the runway. He secured the airplane and exited through the enter door. The pilot stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident. Runway 26 at the Ocala International Airport is published 3,010 foot long runway.
The pilot's improper landing flare during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in a hard landing and damage to the airplane.