# NTSB FTW94LA134: Weatherly 201C, N1295W, Sterling, CO, April 23, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 23, 1994, 10:15 local (16:15 UTC) - Place: Sterling, CO - Coordinates: 40.620914, -103.190719 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6209&lon=-103.1907&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report November 14, 1994 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 19041 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW94LA134 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/19041/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW94LA134 ## Probable cause AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS WERE FUEL EXHAUSTION AND THE PILOT'S FAILUE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, maneuvering - aerial application - fluid,fuel - exhaustion (contributing factor) - refueling - not performed, pilot in command (contributing factor) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - stall - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - airport facilities,runway/landing area condition - ground ## Analysis THE NEWLY-HIRED PILOT WAS MAKING HIS THIRD FLIGHT IN AIRPLANE MAKE AND MODEL, AND HIS SECOND COMPANY WATER SPRAYING PRACTICE FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF PILOT, AS THE AIRPLANE MADE THE APPROACH, THE ENGINE 'SOUNDED ROUGH, LIKE IT WAS RUNNING OUT OF GAS.' OTHER WITNESSES SAID THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. THE AIRPLANE PULLED UP, BANKED RIGHT, ROLLED INVERTED, AND DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND. THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE SAID HE FOUND LESS THAN 1 GALLON OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK AND THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. THE RIGHT TANK HELD 25 GALLONS USEABLE FUEL AND THE LEFT TANK HELD 40 GALLONS. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF AT 0815. THE OPERATOR HEARD THE PILOT REPORT SWITCHING TANKS AT 0930. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 1015. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT TANK. THE OPERATOR SAID THE ENGINE CONSUMED BETWEEN 21 AND 26 GALLONS PER HOUR, DEPENDING ON POWER SETTING. ## Factual narrative On April 23, 1994, approximately 1015 mountain daylight time, a Weatherly 201C, N1295W, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Sterling, Colorado. The pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. According to the airplane operator, the pilot was a new company employee, and this was his third flight in this airplane make and model. It was also his second practice flight, water spraying a field next to the airport. The chief pilot was observing the pilot's performance. He told a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that as the airplane made an approach, the engine "sounded rough, like it was running out of gas." Several other witnesses said the engine was not operating. The chief pilot said the airplane pulled up, banked right, rolled inverted, and descended into the ground in a near vertical attitude. According to the FAA inspector, he found less than one gallon of fuel in the right tank and the left tank was empty. The fuel selector valve was on the right tank. The operator said the airplane held 65 gallons (25 gallons in the right tank, 40 gallons in the left tank) of useable fuel, and the engine consumed 21 to 26 gallons per hour, depending on the power setting. The operator further stated the airplane took off at 0815 and he remembered the pilot saying he switched tanks at 0930. The accident occurred about 1015. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1295W](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1295W-1996-04-10), registration cancelled 1996-04-10, S/N 1003 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: WEATHERLY 201C - Registry model: [Weatherly 201C](https://openairdocs.org/model/weatherly-201c) (registry code 9630410) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1003 - Airframe hours: 3086 - Engines: P&W R-985-AN1 450 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Benson Aviation, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Restricted (Special) - Last inspection: Annual, December 2, 1993, 33 hours before - Airport: 3C02, Mertens ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; flight hours: 2,600 total, 2 in this make and model, 2,097 as pilot in command, 2 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 280° at 13 knots - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 46 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: AKO, 27 nm away ## 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 19940423009019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940423009019A), Apr 23, 1994: Wthrly 201C, Sterling, CO, Destroyed. New hire ag practice with water. Lost power pulled up rolled over. Crashed fuel tanks empty. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.