Amateur-built ES-P accident near Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, July 6, 2020
On July 6, 2020 at about 5:05 pm local time, a 2013 amateur-built ES-P, registered N444TW, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering near Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The reason for this accident could not be determined based on the available information.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2020 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Pauls Valley, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ES-P, built 2013
- Registration
- N444TW · no longer on the register · serial ESP-195-5
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed on a local flight. According to radar data, the airplane headed south and climbed to 4,500 ft mean sea level (msl). After about 20 minutes, the airplane turned back to the north and began a 500 ft per minute descent. The airplane turned to the east and then to the southeast. The last radar return showed the airplane at 1,700 ft msl (about 700 ft above ground level), on a heading of 143°, and flying at 96 knots. The airplane continued to descend and turn and collided with a corn field on a heading of 45°. The pilot had no recollection of the accident. Impact and fire damage precluded a functional examination of the airframe and flight controls. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomalies. Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the accident with the available information.
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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,974 hours in all; 261 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,974 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 10, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 283.6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 23, 2019; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-550-E18B (piston); 284 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OUN Norman OK at 4:38 pm
- Destination: OUN Norman OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from PVJ, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on May 2, 2022. 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 | NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident-incident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Opsview Display from ADS-B Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | ADS-B Csv File | data file | Download |
| 4 | Wreckage Distribution | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Theodolite Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Aero Valley's Engine Examination Report | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Oil Analysis Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Accident Report Photographs | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N444TW 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.