Pipistrel DOO Ajdovscina VIRUS accident near Okmulgee, Oklahoma, March 11, 2017
On March 11, 2017 at about 2:10 pm local time, a 2014 Pipistrel DOO Ajdovscina VIRUS (glider), registered N345M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Okmulgee, Oklahoma (Okmulgee Rgnl 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 failure to review the Federal Aviation Administration chart supplement before landing, which resulted in his landing on a closed runway and collision with a fence. Contributing to the accident was the airport’s failure to adequately mark the physical surface of the runway to indicate that it was permanently closed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 11, 2017 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Okmulgee, Oklahoma · Okmulgee Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pipistrel DOO Ajdovscina VIRUS SW, built 2014
- Registration
- N345M · registry record · serial 621 SW 100
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he entered the traffic pattern for runway 4 about 800 ft above the ground. He added that, after touchdown, he did not see the fence that ran across the runway until the airplane was about 300 ft from it. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. A review of the airport's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chart supplement (02 MAR 2017 to 27 APR 2017) revealed that the runway the pilot landed on was depicted in the airport sketch with two "X" marks, which indicated that the runway was closed. A review of the visual flight rules sectional chart in publication at the time of the accident revealed that the surface the pilot landed was depicted along with the other runway surface at the airport. The FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge stated, in part: Marking and Lighting of Permanently Closed Runways and Taxiways For runways and taxiways that are permanently closed, the lighting circuits are disconnected. The runway threshold, runway designation, and touchdown markings are obliterated and yellow "Xs" are placed at each end of the runway and at 1,000-foot intervals. A review of photographs of the "X" markings on the surface the pilot landed on showed that only fragments of faded yellow paint were visible and that what was visible did not resemble an "X." Code of Federal Regulations Section 91.103, "Preflight Action," stated, in part: Each pilot in command shall, before beginning a flight, become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. This information must include— (a) For a flight under IFR [instrument flight rules] or a flight not in the vicinity of an airport, weather reports and forecasts, fuel requirements, alternatives available if the planned flight cannot be completed, and any known traffic delays of which the pilot in command has been advised by ATC [air traffic control]; (b) For any flight, runway lengths at airports of intended use, and the…takeoff and landing distance information. The pilot did not report that he consulted the FAA chart supplement before landing, which depicted the runway closed.
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
What happened, in order
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › Runway markings/signage › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 8,400 as pilot in command; 2,500 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 5, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 103.5 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 12, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,323 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 104 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 43OK Wellston OK at 1:40 pm
- Destination: OKM Okmulgee OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KOKM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N345M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.