Piper PA-28-140 accident near Owasso, Oklahoma, April 29, 2002
On April 29, 2002 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6303W, was destroyed in an accident near Owasso, Oklahoma. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was 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 as a result of the pilot's failure to remove the engine cowling plugs during the preflight inspection. A contributing factor was 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
- April 29, 2002 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Owasso, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6303W · no longer on the register · serial 18-20346
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After departure from a local airport the pilot flew around the area so his passenger could take aerial photographs of a baseball field. Subsequently, the engine lost power and he initiated a forced landing to a golf course. The airplane impacted uneven terrain and trees coming to rest upright and was consumed by a postimpact fire. According to a witness at the airport that the pilot departed from, the airplane was observed taking off with "cowl plugs" still installed on the airplane. An on scene inspection by an FAA inspector who responded to the accident site, located the engine cowl plugs prior to the green.
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: 1,543 hours in all; 276 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 3, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,404.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 2001; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OK16 Owasso OK at 4:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.