Sukhoi SU-26MX accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, June 17, 1990
On June 17, 1990 at about 6:44 pm local time, a Sukhoi SU-26MX, registered N26TJ, was destroyed in an accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Will Rogers World airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO RECOVER FROM THE AEROBATIC MANEUVER AND SUBSEQUENT STALL/SPIN, DUE TO INADEQUATE ALTITUDE. FATIGUE MAY HAVE BEEN A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 1990 · about 6:44 pm local time
- Place
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Will Rogers World · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sukhoi SU-26MX · all SU-26MXs on the register
- Registration
- N26TJ · no longer on the register · serial 51-01
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT OF THE RUSSIAN BUILT ACFT WAS PARTICIPATING IN AN AEROBATIC SHOW, OF WHICH, HE WAS THE DIRECTOR. HE HAD RPRTD HE WAS FATIGUED, THAT HE HAD BEEN UNDER CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE & THAT HE MIGHT HAVE TO STOP FLYING IN THE AIRSHOW. DRG THE AIRSHOW, A VERTICAL TORQUE ROLL & TAIL SLIDE WERE PERFORMED. ANOTHER TORQUE ROLL & TAIL SLID WERE THEN MADE THAT RESULTED IN AN INVERTED RECOVERY. FINALLY, ANOTHER TORQUE ROLL & TAIL SLIDE WERE PERFORMED THAT EVOLVED IN A 1-1/2 TURN SPIN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT INPACTED THE GND IN ABOUT A 65 DEG DSCNT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE ACDNT. THE PLT HAD ENGAGED THE SMOKE GENERATOR FOR THE LAST MNVR & SMOKE ENGULFED THE ACFT AS THE TAIL SLIDE BGN. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE PLT WAS OPERG THE ELEVATOR CTL TO RECOVER BEFORE IMPACT. HE HAD BEEN TAKING A BETA BLOCKER (PROPRANOLOL), WHICH HAD BEEN PRESCRIBED WITH THE WARNING OF NOT TO USE BEFORE FLT. A BLOOD TEST SHOWED 0.15 MCG/ML OF PROPRANOLOL, BUT NO PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT WAS VERIFIED. DENSITY ALT WAS ABOUT 3800 FT.
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
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 75 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Vendeneyev M-14 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: OKC at 6:37 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:44 pm from OKC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 FTW90FA120.