Cessna 170 accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 1, 2018
On September 1, 2018 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 1952 Cessna 170, registered N2303D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Tulsa, Oklahoma (Richard Lloyd Jones JR 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 maintain directional control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2018 · about 7:45 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
- Cessna 170 B, built 1952 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N2303D · registry record · serial 20455
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, a crosswind lifted the left wing, and the airplane drifted right. The right main landing gear encountered the grass on the right side of the runway, and the airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut, right aileron, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 8 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 150° at 10 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The airplane landed on runway 19.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing
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 › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,922 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 3,972 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OWP Sand Springs OK at 7:35 pm
- Destination: RVS Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19R, 5,102 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KRVS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 6, 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 Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.