- Date
- March 27, 2023, 12:26 local (17:26 UTC)
- Place
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N550DWCessna 550
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- 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
- 20230327005949A
- Case key
- 106997
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 improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard, bounced landing, runway excursion, and subsequent collision with a runway sign. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of experience in the airplane, the unstabilized approach, and inadequate crew resource management.
Findings · 6
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 pilot reported that he had recently completed his initial training, and the accident flight was his first flight in the airplane. The pilot entered the traffic pattern with the autopilot engaged and was told by the co-pilot to “keep it tight.” The autopilot did not command a steep enough bank, and the pilot disconnected the autopilot in an attempt to align with the runway centerline. On final approach about 50 ft above ground level (agl), the airplane was aligned to the right of the runway centerline. The airplane landed hard, bounced multiple times, exited the runway, and impacted a runway sign. The pilot then executed a go-around and landed without further incident at an alternate airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that prior to and during the flight, challenge-response checklist reading was not utilized between he and the co-pilot, and callouts were not used below 1,000 ft agl.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N550DW
- Reported as
- Cessna 550
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 550-0487
- Engines
- Pratt and Whitney, turbo fanPratt and Whitney, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Xceed Management Group LLC
- Registered owner
- Xceed Management Group LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KPEA · Pella, IA
- Destination
- KPWA · Oklahoma City, OK
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PWA · Wiley Post, runway 35R, 7,199 × 150 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 13,302 total · 3 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 36
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,986.1 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KPWA, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KPWA 271653Z 06007KT 10SM CLR 08/M01 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP222 T00781006,M
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 42.5 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.