CEN26LA248

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-30 · Tulsa, OK · July 9, 2026

Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedPreliminary report
Date
July 9, 2026, 17:29 local (22:29 UTC)
Place
Tulsa, OK
Injuries
2 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N8154YPiper PA-30
Defining event
Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of engine power (partial)
Status
Investigation ongoing
Investigation class
Class 3
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA-FSDO
FAA report
20260709007559A
Case key
203379

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

On this page

Preliminary report

What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.

On July 9, 2026, about 1729 central daylight time, a Piper PA-30 airplane, N8154Y, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The flight instructor and pilot under instruction were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that while conducting training maneuverers in the practice area she heard a noise similar to “sputtering” from the right engine and noticed the RPM drop to about 1500 rpms. Shortly after the rpm drop, the noise stopped and the rpm returned to normal. However, due to unexpected right engine issue, she chose to return to the airport. While returning to the airport, the flight instructor reported that all the engine gauges were observed to be within their respective normal ranges. During the approach, the flight instructor took the flight controls from the pilot under instruction as she observed that the airplane was too high and drifting from the runway centerline. However, the flight instructor was unable to correct for the unstable approach and chose to perform a go-around. The flight instructor reported that the airplane suddenly rolled inverted to the right after she applied full engine power to perform the go-around. Video surveillance imagery showed the airplane start an initial climb during the go-around followed by a sudden inverted roll to the right and then impacting terrain in a vertical nose low orientation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. The airplane owner reported that both propeller governors had been recently removed, overhauled, and reinstalled. The airplane was retained for further examination.

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.

Aircraft

Registration
N8154Y
Reported as
Piper PA-30
Category
Airplane
Serial number
30-1267
Built
1966
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
Rawson Aviation LLC
Registered owner
Rawson Aviation LLC
Destination
Same as departure
Airport
RVS

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.

Weather

Wind
200° at 14 knots, gusting 24
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
97 °F, dew point 73 °F
Altimeter
29.84 inHg
Observed at
KRVS
METAR
METAR KRVS 092153Z 20014G24KT 10SM CLR 36/23 A2984 RMK AO2 SLP103 T03610228

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.