Weatherly Aviation Company Inc 620B accident near Hancock, WI

On August 26, 2015, a Weatherly Aviation Company Inc 620B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Hancock, WI. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.

Date

August 26, 2015

Place

Hancock, WI

Aircraft

Weatherly Aviation Company Inc 620B · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Destroyed

Position

44.098°N, 89.591°W

NTSB ID

20150904X84033

Official records · CEN15LA399

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn August 26, 2015, about 1130 central daylight time, a Weatherly Aircraft Company 620B, N2005C, impacted terrain after the left wing partially separated during an aerial application flight near Hancock, Wisconsin. The pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to Agricair Leasing, LLC and operated by Agricair Flying Service, Inc., under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from the operator's private airstrip near Bancroft, Wisconsin, about 1115. The only witness to the accident stated that he was working in a field about 1/2 mile from the accident site about 1125 when he heard an aircraft engine that had an unusual sound. The sound stopped and was followed by the sound of breaking trees. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident site, the airplane was performing spray operations from north to south on a potato field about 4.2 miles southeast of Hancock at the time of the accident. The field was surrounded by trees that were about 50-60 ft tall. Three birch trees, about 25-30 ft tall, were located near the edge of the potato field and about 30 yards closer to the planted area of the field than the treed area. The birch trees were in line with a wreckage path that contained the airplane left wing leading edge pieces, trailing edge, and wingtip. There was no evidence that the airplane impacted the birch trees. Postaccid

Probable cause

The in-flight failure of the left wing lower forward attach point under normal loading conditions due to corrosion and fatigue cracking in the center section hinge brackets. Contributing to the accident was the operator's inadequate maintenance and overweight operation of the airplane, and the manufacturer's inadequate guidance to detect and prevent corrosion and fatigue cracking.

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.