# NTSB CEN13LA561: Weatherly 620, N4623M, Ulysses, KS, September 25, 2013

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: September 25, 2013, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place: Ulysses, KS
- Coordinates: 37.68222, -101.453613
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6822&lon=-101.4536&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report December 15, 2014
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA Wichita FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 88132
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13LA561
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/88132/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=88132
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA561

## Probable cause

An in-flight fire and subsequent loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive fire damage to the airplane and its fuel and electrical systems.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Fuel system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022800): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Weatherly 620, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022800/cases.md?model=9630602), [All aircraft, 181 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022800/cases.md)
- [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Weatherly 620, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=9630602), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150) (defining event); cases with it: [Weatherly 620, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md?model=9630602), [All aircraft, 504 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md)
- [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Weatherly 620, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=9630602), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)
- [Standing-engine(s) shutdown: Fire/smoke (non-impact)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150); cases with it: [Weatherly 620, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md?model=9630602), [All aircraft, 504 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/150/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot reported that, about 10 minutes after takeoff while in cruise flight at 200 feet above ground level, he smelled smoke in the cockpit. Within 10 seconds, dark smoke filled the cockpit. He turned the master switch to the "off" position, and the engine subsequently stopped producing power. He turned on the master switch and the fuel boost pump to restart the engine, but the engine did not restart. He executed a forced landing to a cornfield, and fire consumed most of the airplane. The examination of the wreckage revealed that the radial engine and the components located forward of the firewall exhibited minimal fire damage. The area that exhibited the most extensive fire damage was located between the chemical hopper and aft of the engine firewall; this area included the fuel boost pump, fuel strainer, and fuel lines. The source of the fire and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined due to the extensive fire damage to the airplane's fuel and electrical systems.

## Factual narrative

On September 25, 2013, about 1830 central daylight time, a Weatherly 620 airplane, N4623M, was destroyed as a result of an in-flight fire and a forced landing near Ulysses, Kansas. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a ferry flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Ulysses Airport (ULS) about 1820 with Eads Municipal Airport, Eads, Colorado, as the destination. The pilot reported that about 10 minutes after departing ULS he was in cruise flight at 200 feet above ground level, and he smelled smoke in the cockpit. Within 10 seconds, the smoke filled the cockpit and it was very dark. He stated that it did not smell like an electrical fire. He reported that he turned the master switch to the OFF position, and the engine subsequently stopped producing power. He turned on the master switch and the fuel boost pump to in an attempt to restart the engine, but without success. He executed a forced landing to a corn field. He exited the airplane, and the fire consumed most of the airplane excluding the radial engine, empennage, and right wing. According to the airplane's owner, the airplane had not been flown for about two to three years. The maintenance records indicated that the airplane had undergone an annual maintenance inspection on April 20, 2012. The airplane had a total of 2,099.1 hours at the time of the inspection. After the annual inspection was completed, the airplane was flown to another maintenance facility to get GPS database updates installed. During the flight, an oil leak was discovered. The engine was removed and an overhauled engine was installed. A ground run about one hour in length was conducted to check for leaks and none were found. The airplane had a total of 2,101.6 hours. The maintenance facility manager reported that the area behind the engine firewall was not accessed during the engine replacement. The examination of the wreckage revealed that the radial engine and the components located forward of the firewall exhibited minimal fire damage. However, the area that appeared to have the most intense fire damage was located between the chemical hopper and aft of the engine firewall, which included the fuel boost pump, fuel strainer, and fuel lines. A section of the fuel line that connected the right fuel tank to the fuel pump exhibited cracks and areas of incipient melting. A metallurgical examination of the fuel line by the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory determined that it was the result of the post impact fire. No evidence of pre-existing cracks was observed. The examination of the airplane's fuel and electrical systems revealed extensive fire damage that precluded further examination.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N4623M](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4623M-2017-10-06), registration cancelled 2017-10-06, S/N 1520, built 1986 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: WEATHERLY 620
- Registry model: [Weatherly 620](https://openairdocs.org/model/weatherly-620) (registry code 9630602) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney R-985 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-985-series) (registry code 52008, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 1520
- Year built: 1986
- Airframe hours: 2099.1
- Engines: Pratt and Whitney R-985 450 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: In-Flight
- Flight: Ferry, Part 91
- Operator: Linnebur Gene L
- Registered owner: Linnebur Gene L
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, April 20, 2013, 2.5 hours before
- Departed: ULS, Ulysses, KS
- Destination: 9V7, Eads, CO

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 64; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review November 15, 2012; seat: center; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 12,000 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 300 in the last 90 days, 100 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 180° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 90 °F

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20130925025679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130925025679A), Sep 25, 2013: Weatherly 620, Ulysses, KS, Destroyed. This aircraft just had an overhauled engine installed at northstar aviation in Ulysses Kansas. The aircraft originally was flown from eads Colorado to Ulysses…

## Docket (10 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=88132. 9.3 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 4.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402005&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF
- Pilot Interview (item 2, .PDF, 88 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402011&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Interview-Master.PDF
- Statement - Steve Rice (item 3, .PDF, 286 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418302&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20-%20Steve%20Rice-Redacted.PDF
- Maintenance Records (item 4, .PDF, 842 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418303&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Records-Redacted.PDF
- NTSB Materials Lab Email Report (item 5, .PDF, 185 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418304&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Materials%20Lab%20Email%20Report-Master.PDF
- Wreckage Release Documents (item 6, .PDF, 699 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418305&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Wreckage%20Release%20Documents-Redacted.PDF
- Photo 1 - Wreckage (item 7, .PDF, 353 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418306&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Wreckage-Master.PDF
- Photo 2 - Radial Engine (item 8, .PDF, 305 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418307&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Radial%20Engine-Master.PDF
- Photo 3 - Fuel Pump and Strainer (item 9, .PDF, 380 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418309&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20Fuel%20Pump%20and%20Strainer-Master.PDF
- Photo 4 - Fractured Fuel Line (item 10, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418312&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20-%20Fractured%20Fuel%20Line-Master.PDF

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.

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