- Date
- July 25, 2022, 06:30 local (11:30 UTC)
- Place
- Stewart, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4651WWeatherly 620A
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220725007809A
- Case key
- 105570
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from crops during an agricultural flight.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4651W
- Reported as
- Weatherly 620A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1534
- Built
- 1991
- Airframe hours
- 6,016.5
- Engine
- Pratt and Whitney R-985-14B, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Classic Aero Crop Protection Inc., doing business as Classic Aero Crop Protection Inc.
- Registered owner
- Classic Arrow Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 27, 2022
- Departed
- KHCD · Hutchinson, MN
- Destination
- KHCD · Hutchinson, MN
- Airport
- N/A
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 6, 2021
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 814 total · 235 in this make and model · 736 as pilot in command · 119 in the last 90 days · 51 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KHCD, 11 nm away
- METAR
- SA 25/07/2022 11:15-> METAR KHCD 251115Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 12/12 A3011 RMK AO2 T01190119=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.