Piper PA-32-300 accident near Coalgate, Oklahoma, February 1, 1990
On February 1, 1990 at about 2:29 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N9235Z, was destroyed in an accident near Coalgate, Oklahoma. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS BY THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INOPERATIVE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS, DARK NIGHT, ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, UNRELIABLE FLASHLIGHT, THE PILOT'S VISUAL PERCEPTION, AND HIS LACK OF INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 1990 · about 2:29 am local time
- Place
- Coalgate, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N9235Z · registry record · serial 32-40368
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS 1 OF 3 USED IN A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN IN OKLAHOMA. AFTER LNDG AT MCALESTER, THE PLT WENT WITH THE CAMPAIGN GROUP WHILE THE OTR 2 PLTS STAYED AT THE ARPT & CHECKED THE WX. AFTER THE GROUP RTRND, FLT TO THE NEXT STOP (IDABEL) WASCANCELED DUE TO BAD WX. THE NON-INST RATED PLT ELECTED TO RTRN AT NGT TO ARDMORE, THOUGH HE HAD SAID THE INST PANEL LGTSWERE INOP. HE TRIED TO OBTAIN BATTERIES FOR HIS FLASHLIGHT AT THE ARPT, BUT WAS UNABLE. THE PLT OF N9235Z DID NOT GET ANFAA WX BRIEFING. HE ASKED 1 OF THE OTR PLTS ABOUT THE WX & WAS TOLD IT WAS BAD AT ARDMORE, BUT WAS BETTER TO THE NORTH &NORTHWEST. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ACFT FLEW NRLY AN HR BFR IT CRASHED NEAR COALGATE. A PERSON, WHO HEARD THE CRASH, SAID THEVIS WAS POOR & THE NGT WAS VERY DARK; ALSO, HE SAID A STORM OCCURRED SHORTLY AFTER THE PLANE FLEW OVER. IMPACT OCCURRED IN A STEEP, NOSE DOWN, INVERTED ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT WAS FND. THE 2055 CST WX AT ARDMORE WAS IN PART: 600' OVC, VIS 7 MI WITH LGT RAIN & FOG. THE ACFT WAS FND ON A FARM ON 2/4/90 BY THE LAND OWNER.
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: 607 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 524 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,985 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 30, 1990; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLC Mcalester OK at 1:30 am
- Destination: 1F0 Ardmore OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 12 knots
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 am from ADM, 51 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number FTW90FA062.