- Date
- April 29, 2002, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Owasso, OK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6303WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020429006079A
- Case key
- 54601
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 loss of engine power as a result of the pilot's failure to remove the engine cowling plugs during the preflight inspection. A contributing factor was lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After departure from a local airport the pilot flew around the area so his passenger could take aerial photographs of a baseball field. Subsequently, the engine lost power and he initiated a forced landing to a golf course. The airplane impacted uneven terrain and trees coming to rest upright and was consumed by a postimpact fire. According to a witness at the airport that the pilot departed from, the airplane was observed taking off with "cowl plugs" still installed on the airplane. An on scene inspection by an FAA inspector who responded to the accident site, located the engine cowl plugs prior to the green.
Factual narrative
On April 29, 2002, at 1630 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140 single-engine airplane, N6303W, was destroyed when the airplane impacted the ground during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Owasso, Oklahoma. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. The commercial pilot was seriously injured and the passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation photo flight. The local flight originated from the Gundys Airport, Owasso, at 1610.
The 1,543-hour pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), that after departure from Gundys Airport, he flew around the area so his passenger could take aerial photographs of a baseball field. Subsequently, the engine lost power and he initiated a forced landing to a golf course.
The pilot reported in an interview, with an FAA inspector who responded to the accident site, that when he was "committed" to land on the golf course, he noticed several berms on the fairway. The airplane impacted the top of a 6-foot tall berm sheering off the left main landing gear, and then became airborne. Approximately 129 feet after the initial impact, the airplane settled back onto the ground and bounced again striking the edge of the green and impacting trees. The airplane came to rest in the upright position and was consumed by a post-impact fire.
According to a witness at the airport, the airplane was observed taking off with "cowl plugs" still installed on the airplane.
An on scene inspection by an FAA inspector who responded to the accident site, located the engine cowl plugs prior to the green.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6303W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-20346
- Airframe hours
- 3,404.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 30, 2001 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- OK16 · Owasso, OK
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
- 68
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 3, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,543 total · 276 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.
Other investigations on N6303W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.