Weatherly 620B N350WR

Summary

On 6 July 1999 at about 18:40 local time, a Weatherly 620B registered N350WR was involved in an accident near Timber Lake, South Dakota, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 July 1999 at 18:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Timber Lake, South Dakota, United States

Nearest airport

Timber Lake Airport (D58)

Coordinates

45.4197, -101.0704

Aircraft

Weatherly 620B

Registration

N350WR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99LA214

Nobody was injured.

the pilots selection of the shorter runway and his failure to abort the takeoff. Factors to the accident were the high density altitude, the fence and the fence posts.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aerial spraying aircraft was loaded with 270 gallons of solution and was attempting to takeoff from the Timber Lake Airport on Runway 17 (2,400 feet by 120 feet, dry/turf). The density altitude at the time was 3,680 feet and a weather reporting station, located 30 miles and 075 degrees magnetic from the accident site, was reporting calm winds. According to the South Dakota Airport Directory, the Timber Lake Airport has a second turf runway (Runway 12/30) that is 3,300 feet long and 150 feet wide. The aircraft lifted off and then settled back onto the runway. The aircraft lifted off again and then struck a fence. The pilot stated that he decided to continue and started to dump the load of chemicals that he was carrying. The aircraft then struck another fence and posts and came to rest in a road east of the airport. The pilot stated that he did not believe that there were any problems with the aircraft. In his statement, the pilot wrote, '... what I wish I would have done is taken off on the other runway or not have filled her quite as full.' A post accident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.