Rockwell 114 accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, April 7, 1997
On April 7, 1997 at about 11:14 pm local time, a Rockwell 114, registered N4861W, was destroyed in an accident near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (Sundance Airpark airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The exhaust manifold cracking due to the pilot's inadequate maintenance modification of the exhaust system which resulted in a fire. A factor was the 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 7, 1997 · about 11:14 pm local time
- Place
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Sundance Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 114
- Registration
- N4861W · no longer on the register · serial 14191
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The engine lost power and an in flight fire sent smoke into the cabin during initial takeoff climb on a local maintenance flight of a prototype exhaust system. During the forced landing, short of the runway, the airplane touched down in soft soil, crossed a gravel driveway and struck an embankment and a fence before coming to a stop. Subsequently the airplane was consumed by the fire. The airframe was inspected by the FAA inspector and he found an unapproved modification, designed by the pilot, for the cowling and the exhaust system. The exhaust system components were wrapped in a heat protective tape approximately 2 inches wide. After removing the exhaust from the engine and removing the tape, it was found that the right hand exhaust pipe collector was cracked in several areas. The pilot reported that he was working on a STC for drag reduction and the experimental exhaust manifold cracked at the weld after 7 hours of test flights.
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: 295 hours in all; 182 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 261 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 1996; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HSD at 11:14 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.