FTW94LA072
1994-01-21 · TULSA, Oklahoma, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed
Airport RVS
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER BRAKING TECHNIQUE AND THE RESULTANT FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. A FACTOR WAS THE PILOT NOT OBTAINING AN ATC CLEARANCE PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.
Factual narrative
On January 21, 1994 at 1141 central standard time, a Cessna 152, N6374M, was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff at the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Richard L. Jones, Jr. Airport. The student pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the solo instructional flight. Tower personnel reported that the aircraft was cleared to taxi into position and hold on runway 19R. Shortly after holding, the aircraft initiated a takeoff roll without clearance. The tower instructed the pilot to abort the takeoff. The pilot reported that he heard what he believed to be a clearance for him to takeoff, which he acknowledged. After the aircraft attained minimum flying airspeed, he was instructed to abort the takeoff. He then reduced power and began braking. The pilot reported, "the left brake grabbed harder than the right and I turned toward the ditch." He further stated that the airplane departed the runway, struck a PAPI light, and came to rest in sand. No mechanical malfunctions were reported. In a statement signed by the student pilot dated January 20, 1994, he reported that "apparently the left brake was pushed harder than the right." THE PILOT RECEIVED A CLEARANCE TO TAXI INTO POSITION AND HOLD ON RUNWAY 19R. SHORTLY AFTER HOLDING THE PILOT HEARD WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE A CLEARANCE FOR HIM TO TAKEOFF. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE AND INITIATED A TAKEOFF ROLL. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT ATTAINED MINIMUM FLYING AIRSPEED, HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. HE REDUCED POWER AND BEGAN BRAKING. THE PILOT STATED, 'THE LEFT BRAKE GRABBED MORE THAN THE RIGHT', AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPORTED VEERING TO THE LEFT, DEPARTING THE RUNWAY, AND STRIKING A 'PAPI' LIGHT. IN ONE OF THE TWO SUBMITTED STUDENT PILOT STATEMENTS HE REPORTED THAT 'APPARENTLY THE LEFT BRAKE WAS HIT HARDER THAN THE RIGHT.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1994_FTW94LA072.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Search this event elsewhere
External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.
- TallyAero Live Wire Aviation press
- NTSB CAROL Agency ↗
- NTSB Docket Agency ↗
- Aviation Safety Network Aviation press ↗
- Kathryn's Report Aviation press ↗
- Aviation Herald Aviation press ↗
- AVweb Aviation press ↗
- Pilots of America Community ↗
- Reddit /r/flying Community ↗
- FlightAware Aviation press ↗
- AOPA accident database Aviation press ↗
- Google News News ↗
- DuckDuckGo News ↗
Related research
Matched on aircraft type. All research papers
- Semantic Scholar 2023 · Article (EClinicalMedicine) Efficacy and tolerability of an endogenous metabolic modulator (AXA1125) in fatigue-predominant long COVID: a single-centre, double-blind, randomised controlled phase 2a pilot study
Summary Background ‘Long COVID’ describes persistent symptoms, commonly fatigue, lasting beyond 12 weeks following SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- NASA NTRS 2021 · Poster Sleep, Sleepiness, and Performance Across Three In-Flight Bunk Rest Opportunities
Introduction: Airline pilots are required to take a rest break in a bunk during long-haul flights in an effort to reduce sleepiness during critical phases of flight.
- Semantic Scholar 2020 · Article (Brain, behavior, and immunity) Pilot Study of Combined Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Fatigue for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: Inflammatory and Epigenetic Changes
This pilot study examined whether a combined aerobic resistance exercise program reduced fatigue and the potential inflammatory and epigenetic mechanisms in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) re…
- Semantic Scholar 2020 · Article (Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy) Routine opioid outcome monitoring in community pharmacy: Outcomes from an open-label single-arm implementation-effectiveness pilot study.
BACKGROUND In response to rising harms with prescription opioids, recent attention has focused on how to better utilise community pharmacists to monitor outcomes with opioid medicines.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2011 · Journal article (JAAER) System Safety Study: Pedagogical Aviation Action Research
Action Research (AR) is a scientific methodology whereby researchers participate in a research setting for data collection and problem resolution.