Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Bethany, Oklahoma, June 17, 1992
On June 17, 1992 at about 1:14 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-180, registered N7419J, was destroyed in an accident near Bethany, Oklahoma (Wiley Post airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT STALL. THE GUSTY WIND WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 1992 · about 1:14 pm local time
- Place
- Bethany, Oklahoma · Wiley Post · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7419J · no longer on the register · serial 28R-30762
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PRIVATE PILOT WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES MAKING AN STRAIGHT IN VISUAL APPROACH. AFTER THE AIRPLANE CROSSED THE LANDING THRESHOLD IN THE LANDING CONFIGURATION, RIGHT CLIMBING TURN WAS INITIATED AS ENGINE POWER WAS APPLIED. PRIOR TO REVERSING DIRECTION, STILL IN THE LANDING CONFIGURATION, THE NOSE WAS OBSERVED DROPPING TOWARDS THE GROUND AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN, RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. THE INVESTIGATION FAILED TO FIND ANY ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRFRAME AND COMPONENTS. THE AUTOPSY FAILED TO SHOW ANY PREEXISTING DISEASE THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL. WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CLEAR WITH HEADWINDS OF 19 KNOTS GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,098 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 12, 1992; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSD Oklahoma City OK at 1:05 pm
- Destination: PWA Bethany OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 7,198 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 19 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:22 pm from PWA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.