Piper PA-32-300 accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, April 7, 2011
On April 7, 2011 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N31407, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Sundance airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of aircraft control due to the failure of the stabilator control cable turnbuckle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2011 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Sundance · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N31407 · registry record · serial 32-7840130
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane nosed over shortly after takeoff and impacted the runway. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. A postaccident examination revealed that a stabilator control cable had failed at a turnbuckle as a result of stress corrosion cracking, which compromised the pilot's ability to control the pitch attitude of the airplane. The airplane was within the maintenance inspection requirements at the time of the accident, with the most recent annual inspection being completed about 1 year prior to the accident. The airplane service manual included a special control cable fitting inspection for airplanes in service 15 years or more. Any evidence of corrosion or cracking was cause for replacement according to the service manual. The accident pilot had owned the airplane for about 26 years. During the time he owned the airplane, the control cables had not been replaced. The investigation could not determine when the stress corrosion cracking commenced on the turnbuckle.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Flight control sys malf/fail during takeoff defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
- Abnormal runway contact during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Landing gear collapse during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Elevator control system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,620 hours in all; 1,720 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 3,518 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 19, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,051 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 2010; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSD Oklahoma City OK at 4:30 pm
- Destination: HSD Oklahoma City OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PWA, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N31407 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.