The sunshine assault plane went down in a subject for unknown causes minutes after taking off for a coaching mission.
An OA-1K Skyraider II of the U.S. Air Pressure needed to carry out a compelled touchdown in a subject close to Oklahoma Metropolis on Oct. 23, 2025. The OA-1K struck two energy poles whereas touching down, inflicting a small grass hearth, however the crew was capable of exit the plane unscathed.
The incident
In accordance with native authorities, the plane went down close to SE 119th Road and Sooner Street at round 2:42 p.m. native time. The causes are nonetheless unknown, with some sources reporting a attainable engine failure, and an investigation is now ongoing.
The plane departed from Will Rogers Worldwide Airport, the place is operated by a partnership between the 492nd and 137th Particular Operations Wings of the Air Pressure Particular Operations Command (AFSOC) and Oklahoma Air Nationwide Guard (ANG), respectively.
What seems to be a L3Harris OA-1K Skyraider II with the Oklahoma Air Nationwide Guard’s 185th Particular Operations Squadron, primarily based out of Will Rogers Air Nationwide Guard Base, has crashed this afternoon close to Tinker Air Pressure Base in Oklahoma Metropolis. pic.twitter.com/5LVIGrf7Rx
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 23, 2025
The Oklahoma ANG confirmed that no accidents had been reported to the crew, which included a civilian contractor and a U.S. Air Pressure energetic responsibility service member. Each the plane and crew are assigned to the 492nd SOW.
An energetic responsibility plane from the 492nd Particular Operations Wing working out of Will Rogers crashed earlier immediately. This isn’t an Oklahoma Air Nationwide Guard plane or crew.
On account of proximity and partnership, the Oklahoma Nationwide Guard is aiding with communications. pic.twitter.com/JzILZD8mYp
— Okla. Nationwide Guard (@OKGuard) October 23, 2025
Open-source flight monitoring confirmed that the plane, serial 22-0009, was flying at low altitude with the callsign “ZORRO75,” with the incident taking place south-west of Tinker Air Pressure Base.
OA-1K 22-0009 crashed shortly after taking off from Will Rogers World Airport.
There aren’t any reported accidents.#AAF024 #ZORRO75 pic.twitter.com/GUX7Kc3LaQ
— Nick H. ✈︎ (@N214WN) October 23, 2025
In accordance with recorded radio communications, ZORRO 75 known as a could day on the Oklahoma Metropolis Strategy frequency shortly earlier than crashing.
That is BS.. why is the richest nation on the earth flying single engine crop duster planes like they’re a 3rd phrase nation? I don’t envy these individuals and I pray for them. pic.twitter.com/CW3AUDscSW
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) October 24, 2025
One other Skyraider II, ZORRO 55, was flying within the space and instantly headed to ZORRO 75’s location to help.
AT-802U Sky Warden (Air Tractor L3Harris OA-1K Skyraider II) with the seventeenth Particular Operations Squadron that operates out of Will Rogers Worldwide Airport has crashed close to SW 119th and Sooner Street in Moore. OKC FD has responded. Preliminary report: each crew are okay. pic.twitter.com/uE2HmDDdyj
— Michael Armstrong (@KOCOMichael) October 23, 2025
A video emerged on social media, reportedly recorded by the onboard cameras of a Tesla automobile, reveals the plane skimming the close by highway in the course of the compelled touchdown, barely lacking the passing automobile.
Some loopy footage from what appears to be a Tesla dashcam discovered on TikTok of this incident. Username is mtopchian1 pic.twitter.com/8RT01UTzva
— TieDye Intel (@TieDyeIntel) October 24, 2025
Judging by the video and the images of the aftermath, the plane may need impacted the facility strains close to an intersection after touching down, ending its run with a 90° left flip.
The photographs from the crash website present intensive harm to the left wing – nearly sheared off, collapsed proper touchdown gear, bent propeller and probably harm to the proper wing – which seems to be touching the bottom. Notably, the plane took away with it a cease signal which was on the highway intersection.
Effectively he blew proper previous that cease signal pic.twitter.com/W01XEYtXla
— Intelschizo (@Schizointel) October 24, 2025
Replace
Our buddy Rob Stephens at Redhome Aviation was close by the placement and captured some pictures of the aftermath. In a publish on his Fb web page he was additionally capable of present some extra particulars about what occurred, quoted beneath.
The plane departed KOKC at 2:35 pm native time, climbed to three,500 ft, earlier than dropping some velocity and altitude three minutes into the flight. At practically 5 minutes into the flight, round 2:40 pm native, the pilots from plane callsign Zorro75, declared an emergency (mayday mayday mayday) and so they had been taking place. The plane got here down on on the Northbound lanes of South Sooner Street, simply North of SE 119th Road, heading Southeast. They struck the curb with one of many tires, went throughout a small, uneven subject, throughout a highway, putting a cease signal and utility pole, earlier than spinning to the left and coming to the cease in a subject. The plane is leaning on its proper wing, with the cease signal nonetheless on the forefront of the left wing.
A small grass hearth was began from the facility strains on the bottom, however shortly extinguished by the Oklahoma Metropolis Fireplace Division, who stayed on scene as the facility firm arrived on scene to secure the facility strains and set up new poles.
Precedents
That is the primary reported incident of the missionized OA-1K Skyraider II because it was first delivered in April 2025. Nevertheless, in November 2024, an AT-802U, upon which the Skyraider II is predicated and utilized by the service for coaching the long run OA-1K crews, reportedly overshot the runway.
The incident resulted in gentle harm to the plane, together with a propeller strike. The plane, serial 22-0007 and assigned to the Oklahoma ANG, has since been repaired and returned to flight.
Skyraider II
The OA-1K, a variant of the AT-802U, was the winner of Particular Operations Command’s Armed Overwatch contract in 2022. The airplane beat out the Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine, Embraer A-29 Tremendous Tucano, and PZL’s M28B 1R Bryza.
The aim of the contract was to outfit AFSOC with a small airframe for Shut Air Assist (CAS), strike, and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The plane are inbuilt Olney, Texas, and outfitted for the armed overwatch mission in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The OA-1K has been formally named the Skyraider II in February 2025. The identify revives the legacy of the rugged and versatile A-1 Skyraider, which served from 1946 by the early Nineteen Eighties, stated the AFSOC.
In accordance with Air Tractor, the AT-802U is provided with eight wing-mounted hardpoints able to carrying 500-pound (227 kg) munitions, plus two centerline stations for 1,000-pound (454 kg) weapons, giving it a complete payload capability of 8,000 kilos (3,629 kg). The interior hardpoints are optimized for externally-mounted weapons, with calibers starting from .50 caliber to twenty mm. The plane contains a two-person cockpit, armored engine and gasoline tanks, self-sealing gasoline cells, and a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67F engine.
A key benefit of the Skyraider II is its low working price. Air Tractor studies that its price per flying hour is within the tons of of {dollars}—far decrease than the 1000’s and even tens of 1000’s per hour for current U.S. Air Pressure plane performing comparable missions. Past its navy position, the AT-802 has an intensive observe document in crop dusting, aerial firefighting, and drug interdiction.
The OA-1K will complement the U-28A Draco, a single-engine counter-insurgency (COIN) and ISR platform primarily based on the Pilatus PC-12. The U.S. Air Pressure at the moment operates the Draco underneath two Wings: the first Particular Operations Wing at Hurlburt Discipline, Florida, and the twenty seventh Particular Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. Whereas the Skyraider II is about to take over a lot of its roles, the U-28A will proceed working in a restricted capability.
