Weatherly Aviation CO INC 620B accident near Ludlow, South Dakota, June 7, 2013
On June 7, 2013 at about 1:30 am local time, a Weatherly Aviation CO INC 620B, registered N350WR, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Ludlow, South Dakota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while maneuvering, which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing to the accident was task- and/or work-related fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2013 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Ludlow, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly Aviation CO INC 620B · all 620Bs on the register
- Registration
- N350WR · no longer on the register · serial 1612
- 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 pilot had been performing aerial applications; the airplane was found crashed in a field adjacent to the area where he was applying applicant. A map of the 891.72-acre application area showed that it was asymmetrical and that it included a series of diagonally adjoining rectangular fields bounded by fences and property and an irregularly shaped field bounded by a curved highway. The fields to be treated were located north, south, and east of the accident site. According to an aerial application pilot familiar with the work site, if the accident pilot were following a north-south application path, it would have been appropriate for the airplane to fly over the accident area in straight-and-level flight without spraying any materials in that area. However, given the irregular shape of the application area, it is possible that the pilot may have been maneuvering the airplane for a different application path to another part of the field. An examination of the airplane, the engine, and related systems revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The damage to the airplane and ground scars were consistent with the airplane being at a high angle-of-attack, consistent with a stalled condition, at the time of impact. According to the pilot's colleagues, he got up at 0700 the morning of the accident after sleeping about 7 to 8 hours and started flying at 0930. He flew all morning and took a 10- to 15-minute break for lunch about 1300. The pilot then continued to fly until the time of the accident. He had flown at least 9 hours when the accident occurred. The low-level aerial application flight operations would have required considerable concentration to ensure proper application to the target crop, obstacle avoidance, and precise control of the airplane while dispensing multiple loads of chemical throughout the day. Such operations can induce fatigue, particularly when they are conducted during the course of a long work day like the pilot had. Therefore, it is likely that the pilot would have been affected by task- and/or work-related fatigue when the accident took place.
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 control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › Fatigue due to work schedule › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 752.2 hours in all; 76 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 5, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,146 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2013
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-985-AN-14B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Air Kraft Spraying INC
The flight
- Departed from: Ludlow SD
- Destination: Ludlow SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N350WR the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN13FA324.