The Accident Investigation Board found that a trainee OA-1K pilot inadvertently shut off fuel, with task saturation, communication issues, and shortcomings in crew resource management being contributing factors.

The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) released last week the Accident Investigation Board (AIB) report into the Oct. 23, 2025, loss of an OA-1K Skyraider II. The board concluded that the aircraft was destroyed after the pilot inadvertently activated the fuel shutoff valve for the engine instead of the fuel tank valve for the fuselage during a training flight.

The accident occurred near Oklahoma City while the aircraft, callsign ‘ZORRO 75’ and assigned to the 17th Special Operations Squadron under the 492nd Special Operations Wing, was conducting an initial qualification training sortie from Will Rogers Air National Guard Base. As we reported at the time, the OA-1K went down near SE 119th Street and Sooner Road, striking two power poles, road signs, and fencing and causing a small grass fire.

Both crew members escaped without injury following the forced landing. However, the aircraft was deemed a write-off, with damage estimated at $17.9 million.

According to the AIB, the mishap resulted from the unintended activation of the fuel shutoff valve, which immediately isolated the engine from its fuel supply and caused a complete loss of power. The board also identified three contributing factors: pilot task saturation, communication challenges combined with ineffective crew resource management (CRM), and ineffective task prioritization after the engine failure.

Source: theaviationist