Cessna 140 accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 28, 2000
On April 28, 2000 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N140RE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma (Richard Lloyd Jones JR. 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
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll. A factor was the runway sign struck by the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2000 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · Richard Lloyd Jones JR. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N140RE · no longer on the register · serial 14564
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll, the tailwheel equipped airplane drifted to the right side of the runway, and the pilot reduced the power to abort the takeoff. However, upon noticing that the airplane was heading toward a runway sign, the pilot added full power in an attempt to fly the airplane over the sign. The pilot veered the airplane to the left after noting that the airplane would not clear the sign. The right horizontal stabilizer struck the sign, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. No mechanical discrepancies were reported.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 308 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 205 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,495 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RVS at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 2,807 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:16 pm from RVS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.