Amateur-built RV-4 accident near El Reno, Oklahoma, July 18, 2004
On July 18, 2004 at about 8:27 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-4, registered N464WB, was substantially damaged in an accident near El Reno, Oklahoma (El Reno Municipal Airpark 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 improper recovery from a bounced landing and his failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 2004 · about 8:27 pm local time
- Place
- El Reno, Oklahoma · El Reno Municipal Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-4
- Registration
- N464WB · registry record · serial 3931
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon reaching the airport, the 524-hour pilot elected to land to the north, due to the fact that "the winds were calm." After "slipping" the airplane to get on the proper glide slope, the pilot stated that he touched down within the first few hundred feet of the runway, had a "slight bounce," and added power to correct it. The airplane started to veer left so the pilot increased right rudder, with no effect. The pilot continued to add right rudder to the point that he over-corrected and the airplane began veering to the right. The airplane exited the paved surface of the 75-feet wide runway, and the pilot added power to try to execute a go-around. The pilot noted that "due to the high density altitude, high gross weight, and aft center of gravity," the go-around had little effect. The airplane proceeded across the taxiway and back onto the runway "where the right landing gear collapsed due to the high side load."
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 524 hours in all; 121 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 440 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 3, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 214.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 16, 2003; 117.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2OK2 Midwest City OK at 8:00 pm
- Destination: F28 El Reno OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PWA, 18 miles away
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.