Weatherly 620A N4651W

Summary

On 25 July 2022 at about 11:30 local time, a Weatherly 620A registered N4651W, operated by Classic Aero Crop Protection Inc., was involved in an accident near Stewart, Minnesota, 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

25 July 2022 at 11:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Stewart, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

44.6907, -94.4983

Aircraft

Weatherly 620A

Registration

N4651W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Classic Aero Crop Protection Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hutchinson → Hutchinson

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA340

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from crops during an agricultural flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was spraying a corn field and had descended back toward the field to make his next application pass. During the pass, he underestimated the height of the corn and the airplane settled more than expected. The main landing gear struck the corn, the airplane veered to the left, and the airplane impacted the ground. The engine separated and the airplane continued to spin to the left before it came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.