Cessna 340 accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, September 3, 2020
On September 3, 2020 at about 12:15 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna 340, registered N5178J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the windscreen for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2020 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340 A, built 1975 · all 340s on the register
- Registration
- N5178J · registry record · serial 340A0013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While climbing through 17,000 ft mean sea level (msl) during a cross-country flight, the pilot completed a transition check and verified that the cabin pressure altitude was 8,000 ft and the pressure differential was within limits. As the airplane climbed through 18,000 ft msl, the right windscreen blew out. The pilot returned to the departure airport and landed the airplane without further incident. Six pieces of acrylic material that comprised the complete outer circumference of the windscreen remained attached to the airframe. The section of windscreen that was blown out during flight was unaccounted for. The fracture surfaces of the remnants were consistent with overstress separation. The pilot’s statement of events did not indicate a malfunction of the aircraft’s pressurization system. The origination point of the failure was not identified, and the reason for the windscreen failure could not be determined based on available evidence.
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
- Aircraft structural failure during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Windows › windshield system › Flight compartment windows › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 686 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 22, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,585 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 5,990 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO-520 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skymed Llc
The flight
- Destination: KMBQ Burnet TX
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on May 19, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | C340 Service Manual Extract | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum of Record - Windshield Examination | PDF, 2 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.