Beech F33A accident near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, May 6, 2023
On May 6, 2023 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1976 Beech F33A, registered N2294L, suffered minor damage in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Tahlequah, Oklahoma (Tahlequah Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to remove the wheel chocks before engine start which resulted in the inadvertent contact with the propeller while the engine was running.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2023 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tahlequah, Oklahoma · Tahlequah Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech F33A, built 1976 · all F33As on the register
- Registration
- N2294L · registry record · serial CE-676
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that after he started the airplane engine, he realized that the wheel chocks were still in place on the nose landing gear tire. He set the parking brake and exited the airplane with the engine still running. As the pilot removed the chocks, they inadvertently hit the propeller and pulled his arm into the propeller arc. The pilot sustained a serious injury to his right arm. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained minor damage to the propeller.
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
- AC/prop/rotor contact w person during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Unnecessary action › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Personality/attitude › Complacency › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 22,650 hours in all; 1,030 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: none
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,435 hours
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Tcm IO-520BA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TQH Tahlequah OK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KTQH
Weather report (METAR): METAR KTQH 061855Z AUTO 17011G17KT 10SM SCT043 31/17 A2990 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 CEN23LA186.