Cessna 140 accident near Olustee, Oklahoma, August 18, 2020
On August 18, 2020 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1947 Cessna 140, registered N2207N, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Olustee, Oklahoma (Olustee Muni 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 pilot's decision to attempt a takeoff from the middle of the runway in shifting wind conditions, which resulted in an aborted takeoff and runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2020 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Olustee, Oklahoma · Olustee Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 Undesignat, built 1947 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N2207N · no longer on the register · serial 12443
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and one passenger had just landed on the runway and come to a full stop. The pilot then attempted a takeoff from the 2,000 ft runway, with only about 1,000 ft remaining. During the takeoff roll and near the end of the runway, the pilot felt the wind suddenly shift from the left rear. He attempted to get the airplane airborne before the runway ended but was unsuccessful. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane as it continued off the end of the runway and into a fence. The airplane nosed over into a field and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and that he should have utilized the entire runway for the takeoff.
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
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Other weather encounter during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Decision related to condition
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,947 hours in all; 45 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 2,130 as pilot in command; 954 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,942.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 25, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors O-200A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F09 Olustee OK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: F09 Olustee OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 2,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KAXS, 12 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
1 document, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.