Piper PA-22-135 accident near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, December 3, 2021
On December 3, 2021 at about 6:10 pm local time, a 1953 Piper PA-22-135, registered N3372A, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Tahlequah, Oklahoma (Tahlequah 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
A loss of yaw control while on final approach, which resulted in the pilot performing an off-runway landing, and a subsequent nose over. The reason for the loss of yaw control could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 2021 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Tahlequah, Oklahoma · Tahlequah Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-135, built 1953 · all PA-22-135s on the register
- Registration
- N3372A · no longer on the register · serial 22-1630
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported the airplane had recently been purchased by the passenger and they were transporting it to their home location via a cross-country flight. During a planned rest stop, the pilot maneuvered the airplane in the traffic pattern to land. As the pilot turned onto short final, he was attempting to align the airplane with the runway, and he noticed the yaw of the airplane was to the left and “hard.” The pilot made sure the right seat passenger did not have his feet resting on the rudder pedals. The pilot noticed the left rudder pedal was all the way forward against the firewall and he was unable to free it by manipulating the rudder pedals back and forth. The pilot then decided to land parallel to the runway, in dry, tall grass. During the landing, the airplane impacted several saplings, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. The pilot and passenger were able to egress without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift struts, the vertical stabilizer, and the rudder. A post-accident examination of the airframe established flight control continuity and no signs of foreign object debris were found lodged in or around the rudder pedals. Pre-accident flight control rigging settings could be not determined due to the airframe damage sustained.
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 approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Flight control system › Rudder control system › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 900 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 850 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,535 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 28, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-290-D2 (piston); 1,150 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K26 Carrollton MO at 3:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17/3, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KTQH
Weather report (METAR): KTQH 031755Z AUTO 19005KT 10SM CLR 25/11 A2995 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 27, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Federal Aviation Administration Record of Conversation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Additional Documents | PDF, 5 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.