Piper PA-28-180 accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 1, 2000
On June 1, 2000 at about 7:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7271W, 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). 4 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2000 · about 7:00 am local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · Richard Lloyd Jones JR
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7271W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot stated that the airplane's preflight inspection and pre-takeoff engine run-up did not reveal any anomalies. The night cross-country flight departed from runway 01L and the airplane was climbing through 1,100 feet msl (463 feet agl) when the pilot noticed a hot smell and, subsequently, the engine lost total power. The pilot attempted to find a landing area and the pilot-rated passenger, who was a certified flight instructor (CFI), attempted to re-start the engine; however, the engine did not re-start. The pilot then relinquished control of the airplane to the CFI and a forced landing was executed. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a tree and came to a stop upright. A pilot-rated witness added that he heard the airplane's engine 'missing badly,' during the initial takeoff climb. The airframe and engine logbooks were examined and no open maintenance discrepancies were noted. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined during the airframe examination or engine test run.
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: 240 hours in all; 151 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 205 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,680 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 1999; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RVS at 7:00 am
- Destination: 00V Colorado Spgs CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1L, 5,101 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 am from RVS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.