Weatherly 201C N1295W

Summary

On 23 April 1994 at about 16:15 local time, a Weatherly 201C registered N1295W was involved in an accident near Sterling, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 April 1994 at 16:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Sterling, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Mertens (3C02)

Coordinates

40.6209, -103.1907

Aircraft

Weatherly 201C

Registration

N1295W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW94LA134

1 person was seriously injured.

AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS WERE FUEL EXHAUSTION AND THE PILOT'S FAILUE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE NEWLY-HIRED PILOT WAS MAKING HIS THIRD FLIGHT IN AIRPLANE MAKE AND MODEL, AND HIS SECOND COMPANY WATER SPRAYING PRACTICE FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF PILOT, AS THE AIRPLANE MADE THE APPROACH, THE ENGINE 'SOUNDED ROUGH, LIKE IT WAS RUNNING OUT OF GAS.' OTHER WITNESSES SAID THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. THE AIRPLANE PULLED UP, BANKED RIGHT, ROLLED INVERTED, AND DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND. THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE SAID HE FOUND LESS THAN 1 GALLON OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK AND THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. THE RIGHT TANK HELD 25 GALLONS USEABLE FUEL AND THE LEFT TANK HELD 40 GALLONS. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF AT 0815. THE OPERATOR HEARD THE PILOT REPORT SWITCHING TANKS AT 0930. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 1015. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT TANK. THE OPERATOR SAID THE ENGINE CONSUMED BETWEEN 21 AND 26 GALLONS PER HOUR, DEPENDING ON POWER SETTING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.