Amateur-built MONI accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 6, 2021
On September 6, 2021 at about 3:25 pm local time, a 1986 amateur-built MONI (glider), registered N983JV, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Tulsa, Oklahoma (Harvey Young airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control for reasons that 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
- September 6, 2021 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · Harvey Young · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MONI NO SERIES, built 1986
- Registration
- N983JV · no longer on the register · serial 8
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was departing in the motorglider when the accident occurred. A witness stated that the glider used about 3/4 of the 2,580-ft-long runway to become airborne. As the glider climbed, it entered an aerodynamic stall and spin, and subsequently impacted terrain. Security camera footage showed the glider impact the ground in a near-vertical, nose-low attitude in a counterclockwise spin. The glider sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. An examination of the glider did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. The glider’s maintenance history could not be determined. The glider had been deregistered about 8 years before the accident. The student pilot’s logbook was not located, and neither his total flight experience nor experience in the accident glider could be determined. Although the circumstances of the accident are consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin and loss of control, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined based on 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 initial climb defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 10 hours in all
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Komet Flight Motor 107E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from KTUL, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KTUL 061553Z 18006KT 10SM CLR 29/17 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP169 T02940172
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 March 22, 2023. 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 | Case Findings | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Medical Information | PDF, 1 page | 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.