# Accident 19970718019069A: Wthrly 201C, Stephen, MN, July 18, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 18, 1997, 10:30 local time
- Place: Stephen, MN
- Airport: Stephen Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: KIIG
- Location: 48.4493° N, 96.8700° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.4493&lon=-96.8700&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9054W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9054W) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Weatherly 201C (registry code 9630410, https://openairdocs.org/model/weatherly-201c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 series (registry code 52008, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-985-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: WTHRLY 201C
- Reported engine: PWA R985AN14B
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,791 total, 767 in this make and model, 124 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97LA219](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA219) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970718019069A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LANDED LEFT GEAR FIRST. WIND GUST CAUSED SIDE LOAD TO RIGHT MAND AND IT FOLDED. DAMAGED WING SPAR. WEAK SIDE BRACE. (-23) AS THE PILOT LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY THE LEFT GEAR TOUCHED DOWN FIRST.  THEN AS THE RIGHT GEAR TOUCHED THE RUNWAY, A LARGE GUST OF WIND, CROSSWIND TO THE RUNWAY, CAUSED A SLIGHT SIDE LOAD TO THE RIGHT GEAR WHICH THEN PROCEEDED TO COLLAPSE, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE MAIN WING SPAR AT THE GEAR ATTACH POINT.  SAFETY RECOMMENDATION WILL BE SUBMITTED BY IIC.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97LA219](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97LA219), Jul 18, 1997: Weatherly 201C (N9054W), Stephen, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's exceeding the design stress limits of the aircraft. A factor was the crosswind.

## Other reports on N9054W (3)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20110810017729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110810017729A), Aug 10, 2011: Weatherly 201C (N9054W), Bronson, IA, Substantial damage. The pilot was conducting aerial application operations with a full hopper of chemical. As the aircraft climbed to avoid power lines, the pilot reported the…
- [Accident 19940911026559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940911026559A), Sep 11, 1994: Wthrly 201C (N9054W), Stephen, MN, Substantial damage. Parking brake on left wheel misrigged. Caused wheel to drag and aircraft to depart runway.
- [Incident 19940522027619I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940522027619I), May 22, 1994: Wthrly 201C (N9054W), Kearney, NE, Minor damage. On landing left landing gear torque link failed. Aircraft nosed over.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.