- Date
- March 22, 1997, 11:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wasco, OR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N20113Weatherly 620B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970322003499A
- Case key
- 42574
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 partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for a precautionary landing. A factor was the rough terrain.
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 pilot stated that his engine began running roughly while he was conducting a spray pass. He pulled up and elected to perform a precautionary landing in an adjacent field, where he believed he could check out the apparent roughness. During the landing roll, the right wheel dug into the soil and the airplane nosed over when he applied brakes to attempt to stop the ensuing groundloop.
Factual narrative
On March 22, 1997, approximately 1130 Pacific standard time, N20113, a Weatherly 620B agricultural aircraft, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over during a precautionary landing near Wasco, Oregon. The commercial pilot, who was engaged in aerial application activities, sustained minor injuries. The flight had departed about ten minutes earlier from a Wasco airstrip. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. There was no fire and the airplane was not equipped with an ELT.
The pilot stated that his engine began running roughly while he was conducting a spray pass. He pulled up and elected to attempt a precautionary landing in an adjacent field, where he believed he could check out the apparent roughness. During the landing roll, the right wheel dug into the soil and the airplane nosed over when he applied brakes to attempt to stop the ensuing groundloop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20113
- Reported as
- Weatherly 620B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1561
- Engine
- P&W R985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Grant And Sandy Porter Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Departed
- OR
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,400 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 200 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.