Cessna 560 accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, July 23, 2018
On July 23, 2018 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 2006 Cessna 560, registered N866VP, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Tulsa, Oklahoma (Tulsa Intl airport). It was a positioning 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 airplane’s collision with a bird during approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2018 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · Tulsa Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 560 Undesignat, built 2006 · all 560s on the register
- Registration
- N866VP · no longer on the register · serial 560-0704
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during approach, he observed a bird flying nearby and then heard a "thump" and felt an impact above his head. The pilot landed the airplane without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed that a bird had impacted the airplane's vertical stabilizer, which sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Birdstrike during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,130 hours in all; 835 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 6, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 4,600 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,574.4 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 16,630 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&Wc PW535A (turbofan); 2,574 hours total
- Engine 2: P&Wc PW535A (turbofan); 2,642 hours total
- Operator: Burgess Aircraft Management, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SGF Springfield MO
- Destination: TUL Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36L, 6,101 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 11 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft; a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KTUL
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 October 30, 2018. 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 Picture | 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.