- Date
- May 24, 2005, 05:50 local (10:50 UTC)
- Place
- Tornillo, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1284WWeatherly 201B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20050524008549A
- Case key
- 61568
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 loss of engine power as result of the failure of a cylinder.
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
The 4,609-hour pilot reported that while spraying a field, the engine lost power and he initiated a forced landing to a nearby field. During the landing roll across plowed rows in the field, the airplane bounced, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the radial engine revealed that a cylinder was cracked.
Factual narrative
On May 24, 2005, at 0550 central daylight time (CDT), a Weatherly 201B single-engine tail-wheel equipped agricultural airplane, N1284W, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while performing an aerial application near Tornillo, Texas. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the airplane, sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by C&D Aerial Inc., of Clint, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. The local flight originated from the Fabens Airport (E35) near Fabens, Texas at 0530.
The 4,609-hour pilot reported in the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) that while spraying a field, the engine began to backfire and produced "minimal power." He then dumped the chemical load that was in the hopper while initiating a forced landing to a nearby field. During the landing roll across plowed rows in the field, the airplane bounced, nosed over, and came to rest inverted.
Examination of the airplane by the pilot revealed that the horizontal stabilizer and rudder were bent.
Examination of the 450-horsepower Pratt and Whitney R-985 radial engine by the airplane owner revealed that a cylinder was cracked.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1284W
- Reported as
- Weatherly 201B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 638
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney R-985, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- C & D Aerial Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Tornillo, TX
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 4,609 total · 1,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Temperature
- 75 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.