# NTSB FTW00LA134: Cessna 140, N140RE, Tulsa, OK, April 28, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 28, 2000, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC) - Place: Tulsa, OK - Coordinates: 36.059104, -95.940986 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0591&lon=-95.9410&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 18, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 49209 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW00LA134 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/49209/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW00LA134 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll. A factor was the runway sign struck by the aircraft. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, takeoff - roll/run - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water collision with object, takeoff - roll/run - object - sign (contributing factor) ## Analysis During the takeoff roll, the tailwheel equipped airplane drifted to the right side of the runway, and the pilot reduced the power to abort the takeoff. However, upon noticing that the airplane was heading toward a runway sign, the pilot added full power in an attempt to fly the airplane over the sign. The pilot veered the airplane to the left after noting that the airplane would not clear the sign. The right horizontal stabilizer struck the sign, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. No mechanical discrepancies were reported. ## Factual narrative On April 28, 2000, at 1215 central daylight time, a Cessna 140, tailwheel equipped airplane, N140RE, struck a taxiway sign during the takeoff roll on runway 13 at the Richard Lloyd Jones Jr. Airport, near Tulsa, Oklahoma. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual. The private pilot and his pilot rated passenger were not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal local flight, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulation Part 91 flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted to the right side of the runway, and he reduced the power to abort the takeoff. However, upon noticing that the airplane was heading toward a taxiway sign, he added full power in an attempt to fly over the sign. The airplane did not become airborne, so the pilot veered the airplane to the left in an attempt to avoid the sign. The right horizontal stabilizer struck the sign, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The pilot stated that the winds were from 090 degrees at 8 knots. The automated surface observing system (ASOS) reported the wind from 100 degrees at 7 knots. FAA inspectors and an aircraft mechanic examined the airplane on May 3, 2000. The right horizontal stabilizer was bent, and the right wing spar was twisted. No mechanical discrepancies were reported. ## Aircraft - Registration: N140RE (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Cessna 140 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 14564 - Engines: Continental C-85 85 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Clifton Walker - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: RVS - Airport: RVS, Richard Lloyd Jones Jr., runway 13, 2,807 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 21; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 308 total, 100 in this make and model, 205 as pilot in command, 40 in the last 90 days, 28 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 100° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: RVS ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000428023419A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000428023419A), Apr 28, 2000: Cessna 140, Tulsa, OK, Substantial damage. (.4)During the takeoff roll, the tailwheel equipped airplane drifted to the right side of the runway, and the pilot reduced the power to abort the takeoff.… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.