The sunshine assault plane went down in a area for unknown causes minutes after taking off for a coaching mission.
An OA-1K Skyraider II of the U.S. Air Drive needed to carry out a pressured touchdown in a area close to Oklahoma Metropolis on Oct. 23, 2025. The OA-1K struck two energy poles whereas touching down, inflicting a small grass fireplace, however the crew was capable of exit the plane unscathed.
The incident
In response to native authorities, the plane went down close to SE 119th Road and Sooner Highway at round 2:42 p.m. native time. The causes are nonetheless unknown, with some sources reporting a potential 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 Drive 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 Drive Base in Oklahoma Metropolis. pic.twitter.com/5LVIGrf7Rx
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 23, 2025
The Oklahoma ANG confirmed that no accidents have been reported to the crew, which included a civilian contractor and a U.S. Air Drive lively responsibility service member. Each the plane and crew are assigned to the 492nd SOW.
An lively responsibility plane from the 492nd Particular Operations Wing working out of Will Rogers crashed earlier in the present day. This isn’t an Oklahoma Air Nationwide Guard plane or crew.
As a result of proximity and partnership, the Oklahoma Nationwide Guard is helping 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 Drive Base.
OA-1K 22-0009 crashed shortly after taking off from Will Rogers World Airport.
There are not any reported accidents.#AAF024 #ZORRO75 pic.twitter.com/GUX7Kc3LaQ
— Nick H. ✈︎ (@N214WN) October 23, 2025
In response to recorded radio communications, ZORRO 75 known as a might day on the Oklahoma Metropolis Method frequency shortly earlier than crashing.
That is BS.. why is the richest nation on this planet flying single engine crop duster planes like they’re a 3rd phrase nation? I don’t envy these folks 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 Highway 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 automotive, reveals the plane skimming the close by highway throughout the pressured touchdown, barely lacking the passing automotive.
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 pictures of the aftermath, the plane might need impacted the ability strains close to an intersection after touching down, ending its run with a 90° left flip.
The pictures from the crash web site present intensive harm to the left wing – virtually sheared off, collapsed proper touchdown gear, bent propeller and probably harm to the correct 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 good friend Rob Stephens at Redhome Aviation was close by the situation and captured some photographs 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 shedding some pace 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) they usually have been happening. The plane got here down on on the Northbound lanes of South Sooner Highway, simply North of SE 119th Road, heading Southeast. They struck the curb with one of many tires, went throughout a small, uneven area, throughout a highway, placing a cease signal and utility pole, earlier than spinning to the left and coming to the cease in a area. The plane is leaning on its proper wing, with the cease signal nonetheless on the forefront of the left wing.
A small grass fireplace was began from the ability strains on the bottom, however rapidly extinguished by the Oklahoma Metropolis Hearth Division, who stayed on scene as the ability firm arrived on scene to secure the ability 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 relies 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 Help (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 title revives the legacy of the rugged and versatile A-1 Skyraider, which served from 1946 by way of the early Eighties, stated the AFSOC.
In response to 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 internal hardpoints are optimized for externally-mounted weapons, with calibers starting from .50 caliber to twenty mm. The plane incorporates a two-person cockpit, armored engine and gas tanks, self-sealing gas cells, and a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67F engine.
A key benefit of the Skyraider II is its low working price. Air Tractor reviews that its price per flying hour is within the lots of of {dollars}—far decrease than the hundreds and even tens of hundreds per hour for present U.S. Air Drive plane performing related missions. Past its navy function, the AT-802 has an intensive monitor 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 Drive 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 ready to take over lots of its roles, the U-28A will proceed working in a restricted capability.
