Cessna 170A accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, March 19, 2023
On March 19, 2023 at about 6:14 pm local time, a 1949 Cessna 170A, registered N9254A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Wiley Post 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control during landing with wind gusts, which resulted in a runway excursion and nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 2023 · about 6:14 pm local time
- Place
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Wiley Post · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A NO SERIES, built 1949 · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N9254A · registry record · serial 19015
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after touchdown on the runway, a gust of wind pushed the tail of the airplane to the left. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control and the airplane departed the runway and nosed over in a grassy area adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The reported winds about the time of the accident were light and variable at 3 knots.
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 on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › (general) › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,360 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 15, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: unkn
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,804.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 8, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300A (piston); 2,633 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35R, 7,199 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.50 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KPWA, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPWA 191753Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 05/M13 A3050 RMK AO2 SLP337 T00501128 10056 21078 58013
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN23LA140.