Weatherly 620B accident near Yuma, AZ
On February 20, 1999, a Weatherly 620B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Yuma, AZ. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 20, 1999
- Place
- Yuma, AZ
- Aircraft
- Weatherly 620B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 32.681°N, 114.660°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001205X00192
NTSB summary
On February 19, 1999, at 2309 hours mountain standard time, a Weatherly 620B, N2014U, collided with power lines during an aerial application flight near Yuma, Arizona. The aircraft, owned and operated by Morris Ag Air and Sons, Inc., was destroyed during the impact sequence and postcrash fire. The commercial pilot, who was also the owner of the company, sustained fatal injuries. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 137 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and there was no flight plan filed for the flight. The airplane had departed nearby Somerton, Arizona, about 2240 for the local area flight. Three eyewitnesses to the crash sequence reported that the pilot had just finished applying the last load of fungicide and was beginning a climbing left turn when the aircraft contacted the power lines located at the edge of the field. According to the Yuma Police Report, the pilot's brother was a safety spotter for the pilot during his aerial flights. He told the police department that his brother had been crop dusting for approximately 3 1/2 hours and had been just finishing up the job when the accident occurred. He said his brother was flying east when the aircraft struck a power line and went down in the field. He heard two loud "pops" and looked up and saw the aircraft on the ground. He did not actually witness the collision with the wire. The second eyewitness told the police department that about 2300 he witnessed a crop duster make an east turn, at which point he saw it "lose control." He said
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate clearance from the power lines during an aerial application flight. A factor in the accident was the dark night lighting conditions.
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Browse: Arizona · Weatherly aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
