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Atlas / NTSB / CEN23LA186

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CEN23LA186

2023-05-06 Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States Airport · TQH Serious 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N2294L

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

BEECH F33A

Year of manufacture

1976 · 47 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)

Seats / Engines

5 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19761007

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A2055F

Registrant of record

FLYING FRIENDS LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to remove the wheel chocks before engine start which resulted in the inadvertent contact with the propeller while the engine was running.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that after he started the airplane engine, he realized that the wheel chocks were still in place on the nose landing gear tire. He set the parking brake and exited the airplane with the engine still running. As the pilot removed the chocks, they inadvertently hit the propeller and pulled his arm into the propeller arc. The pilot sustained a serious injury to his right arm. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained minor damage to the propeller. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Unnecessary action-Pilot
  • Personnel issues-Psychological-Personality/attitude-Complacency-Pilot
  • Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_CEN23LA186.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.