Piper PA44 accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, April 19, 2017
On April 19, 2017 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1999 Piper PA44, registered N4148T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Tulsa, Oklahoma (Richard Lloyd Jones JR airport). It was an instructional 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 receiving instruction’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2017 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · Richard Lloyd Jones JR · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA44 180, built 1999 · all PA44s on the register
- Registration
- N4148T · registry record · serial 4496027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor of the multiengine airplane reported that, during a simulated single-engine landing, while the pilot receiving instruction was flying, the airplane veered to the left. He added that he took control of the airplane "immediately" and added right rudder to correct, but the airplane exited the runway, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose landing gear structure. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 180° at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The airplane landed on runway 19R.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 180 hours in all; 24 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,565 hours in all; 159 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 27, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 16, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Spartan Education LLC
The flight
- Departed from: RVS Tulsa OK at 6:00 pm
- Destination: RVS Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19R, 5,102 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,500 ft; a few clouds at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KRVS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 7, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.