Weatherly Aviation CO INC 620B accident near Hettinger, North Dakota, July 30, 2011
On July 30, 2011 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Weatherly Aviation CO INC 620B, registered N90181, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Hettinger, North Dakota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Internal failure of the engine for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2011 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hettinger, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly Aviation CO INC 620B · all 620Bs on the register
- Registration
- N90181 · registry record · serial 1613
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The agricultural airplane was maneuvering at 500 feet above ground level when the engine lost power, and oil immediately covered the windscreen. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a dirt berm and came to rest in a ditch. A postaccident examination of the engine showed a hole in the side of the No. 5 cylinder, which is located at the bottom of the engine. The examination also revealed that several of the connecting rods, including the No. 5 master rod, were broken. There was no evidence in the engine of scoring, thermal damage, or oil starvation. Due to the extent of the engine damage, the initial failure mode could not be determined. At the time of the accident, the engine had accumulated 43 hours since major overhaul.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 24,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 23,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 15, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,315 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Dakota Flite
The flight
- Departed from: HEI Hettinger ND at 2:50 pm
- Destination: HEI Hettinger ND
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.