- Date
- March 4, 2008, 15:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N113SHCessna 500
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 29, 2009
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- Investigation class
- Class 1
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Cessna Aircraft
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 20080304847819A
- Case key
- 67607
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Airplane wing-structure damage sustained during impact with one or more large birds (American white pelicans), which resulted in a loss of control of the airplane.
Findings · 7
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings.
Analysis
The Safety Board's full report is available at:
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2009/AAR0905.pdf. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-09/05.
On March 4, 2008, about 1515 central standard time, a Cessna 500, N113SH, registered to Southwest Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinic PC of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entered a steep descent and crashed about 2 minutes after takeoff from Wiley Post Airport (PWA) in Oklahoma City. None of the entities associated with the flight claimed to be its operator. The pilot, the second pilot, and the three passengers were killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 with an instrument flight rules flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from the ramp of Interstate Helicopters (a 14 CFR Part 135 on-demand helicopter operator at PWA) and was en route to Mankato Regional Airport, Mankato, Minnesota, carrying company executives who worked for United Engines and United Holdings, LLC.
Factual narrative
The Safety Board's full report is available at:
http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/2009/AAR0905.pdf. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-09/05.
On March 4, 2008, about 1515 central standard time, a Cessna 500, N113SH, registered to Southwest Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinic PC of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, entered a steep descent and crashed about 2 minutes after takeoff from Wiley Post Airport (PWA) in Oklahoma City. None of the entities associated with the flight claimed to be its operator. The pilot, the second pilot, and the three passengers were killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 with an instrument flight rules flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from the ramp of Interstate Helicopters (a 14 CFR Part 135 on-demand helicopter operator at PWA) and was en route to Mankato Regional Airport, Mankato, Minnesota, carrying company executives who worked for United Engines and United Holdings, LLC.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N113SH
- Reported as
- Cessna 500
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 500-0285
- Airframe hours
- 6,487
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney Canada JT-15D-1A, 2,200 lbs thrust, turbo jetPratt & Whitney Canada JT-15D-1A, 2,200 hp, turbo jet
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Interstate Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Southwest Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinic
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · January 29, 2008
- Departed
- PWA · Oklahoma City, OK
- Destination
- MKT · Mankato, MN
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 44
- Injuries
- Fatal
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 21, 2007
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6,100 total · 5,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- PWA, 4 nm away
Docket · 42
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 10, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 40.0 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.