Weatherly Aviation Co Inc 620B accident near Ludlow, SD
On June 7, 2013, a Weatherly Aviation Co Inc 620B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Ludlow, SD. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 7, 2013
- Place
- Ludlow, SD
- Aircraft
- Weatherly Aviation Co Inc 620B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 45.845°N, 103.149°W
- NTSB ID
- 20130607X03043
Official records · CEN13FA324
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 6, 2013, about 1930 mountain daylight time, a Weatherly 620B airplane, N350WR, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Ludlow, South Dakota. A postimpact fire ensued. The commercial pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Air Kraft Spraying Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial application flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from a private airstrip near Ludlow, South Dakota, about 1830. According to colleagues of the pilot, he was applying pesticide and insecticide to a wheat-grass field adjacent to where the airplane crashed. A map of the field that the pilot was working, provided by the pilot's colleagues, illustrated 891.72 acres. The application area was not symmetrical – the southern boundary for application was delineated by Highway 858. A series of rectangles highlighted by fences and property boundaries defined the remainder of the application area. The wreckage was located between a north and south boundary of the application area. According to the pilot's colleagues, he should have been in straight and level flight in this area and should not have been maneuvering if he was following a north/south application path. A local resident, located south of the accident site, reported seeing the airplane make multiple passes over the field. He lost site of the airplane, and a few minutes later observed smoke. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 39, held a com
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was task- and/or work-related fatigue.
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Browse: South Dakota · 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.
