- Date
- June 5, 1993, 11:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- Crowley, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2002EWeatherly 620B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930605016859A
- Case key
- 18765
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
Severe propeller and airframe vibration for undetermined reasons. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the 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
Shortly after liftoff, the airplane shook hard, settled, and the right main gear impacted the ground. The airplane then began to climb and the shaking increased. The airplane subsequently settled back down to the ground and collided with a rice levee. The operator reported a loss of power due to a propeller malfunction. An examination of the propeller did not reveal any anomalies that would have contributed to an airplane vibration or power loss.
Factual narrative
On June 5, 1993, at 1115 central daylight time, a Weatherly 620B, N2002E, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the ground following a loss of power during takeoff. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local aerial application flight.
During a telephone interview, conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the operator reported that the airplane hopper was loaded with 1766 pounds of dry fertilizer. The operator stated that immediately after liftoff, the airplane shook "hard", the right wing dropped, and the right main gear contacted the ground about 500 to 600 feet from the point of liftoff. The operator also stated that the airplane bounced and started to climb, but the vibration increased, and it subsequently settled back to the ground, hitting a levee.
The operator reported to the investigator in charge that a rod arm bushing assembly linkage for the propeller had failed in flight and the airplane could not sustain flight due to the vibration. An examination of the propeller assembly did not reveal any anomalies that would have contributed to a power loss or vibration.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2002E
- Reported as
- Weatherly 620B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1554
- Engine
- P&W R-985-AN1, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Walsh Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · Unk/Na, runway 36, 2,500 × 55 ft, dirt
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 9,497 total · 210 in this make and model · 9,497 as pilot in command · 88 in the last 90 days · 110 in the last 30 days · 12 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.