Piper PA-34-220T accident near Norman, Oklahoma, July 6, 2005
On July 6, 2005 at about 9:26 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N902J, was destroyed in an accident near Norman, Oklahoma (University Of Oklahoma Westhei 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
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin. A contributing factor was the pilot's attempted aborted landing following a hard landing and propeller strike.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2005 · about 9:26 pm local time
- Place
- Norman, Oklahoma · University Of Oklahoma Westhei · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N902J · registry record · serial 34-8133048
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airport's tower controller had cleared the 1,118-hour commercial pilot to land on Runway 03 and reported the winds were variable from 090-130 degrees at 8 knots. The pilot responded, "cleared to land if I can get down there." The pilot then experienced a hard bounced landing which resulted in a right propeller strike while approximately 2,248 feet along the 4,747-foot long by 100-foot wide runway. During the pilot's attempted aborted landing, he lost control and impacted the roof of the airport's terminal building. An examination of the wreckage revealed that the landing gear was in the full-extended position and the flaps were in the 25-degree extended position. Continuity was established to all flight controls. No discrepancies were found with the engines or propellers and no pre-impact anomalies were noted with the airframe.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,118 hours in all; 494 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental TSIO360 KB 1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental LTSIO360KB 1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 7:26 pm
- Destination: OUN Norman OK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3, 4,747 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 9:12 pm from OUN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.