- Date
- February 20, 2023, 12:39 local (18:39 UTC)
- Place
- Oklahoma City, OK · 17R
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N303SBAmerican Champion 8KCAB
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Will Rogers FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230220001219A
- Case key
- 106787
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing, that resulted in a runway excursion, and an impact with an obstacle.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The rear seat pilot reported that he was showing the front seat passenger the “basic operation” of a tailwheel airplane. During the three-point landing, with the passenger on the flight controls, the pilot verbally “talked him through the basic steps” of the landing. The landing was unsuccessful and a go-around was initiated. The pilot then took control, stabilized the airplane, and then decided land on the remaining runway. After touchdown, the airplane “turned sharply” to the right, the airplane departed the runway, and impacted a runway sign. The airplane remained upright, and the pilot was able to taxi the airplane back to his hangar. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing forward and aft lift struts. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot additionally reported that the accident could have been prevented by maintaining “aircraft control at all times.”
Aircraft
- Registration
- N303SB
- Reported as
- American Champion 8KCAB (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 887-2001
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 1,200
- Engine
- Lycoming Engines AEIO-360-H1B, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 2022
- Airport
- PWA · Wiley Post, runway 17R, 5,002 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 88
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- May 14, 2022
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 6,500 total · 800 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.83 inHg
- Observed at
- KPWA
- METAR
- KPWA 201753Z 10SM CLR 17/07 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP094 T01670072 10167 20100 51001
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.