- Date
- April 8, 2000, 10:25 local (16:25 UTC)
- Place
- Rocky Ford, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1292WWeatherly 201B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000408004809A
- Case key
- 48921
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
A total loss of power due to an engine rocker arm failure and soft/unsuitable terrain during the subsequent forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While on an aerial application flight conducting seeding from approximately 100 feet above ground level, the engine lost all power. The pilot made a forced landing in a plowed field and during the landing roll the aircraft nosed over causing damage to the fuselage aft of the cockpit area. Examination of the engine provided evidence of a rocker arm failure.
Factual narrative
On April 8, 2000, at 1025 mountain daylight time, a Weatherly 201B, N1292W, nosed over during landing roll on a forced landing near Rocky Ford, Colorado. The commercial pilot received minor injuries and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 137 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for this aerial application flight which departed Rocky Ford at 1008.
According to the pilot, he was seeding a field and was flying at 80 to 100 feet above ground level (agl) with about 95 to 100 miles per hour (mph) indicated airspeed. He said the engine lost all power without any prior indication of the impending failure. In his statement, he said he attempted to check the magnetos, fuel selector, and turned the boost pump on without results. At approximately 30 feet agl, he abandoned trouble shooting and concentrated on the forced landing, which was to a plowed field. His statement said he touched down on the tail wheel at 45 to 50 mph. At about 30 mph the right main wheel dug in and the aircraft nosed over. Persons on the ground assisted the pilot from the aircraft. At the time of takeoff, the pilot estimated he had approximately 29 gallons of fuel on board the aircraft.
The pilot said there was damage to the propeller and fuselage aft of the cockpit area.
Examination of the engine provided evidence of a rocker arm failure. No reason for the failure could be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1292W
- Reported as
- Weatherly 201B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 643
- Airframe hours
- 4,167
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN1, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Mc Cuistion Aerial Applicators
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 4, 1999 · 254 hours before
- Departed
- 2V8 · CO
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 2,895 total · 283 in this make and model · 2,448 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1292W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.