Weatherly 620 accident near Ulysses, Kansas, September 25, 2013
On September 25, 2013 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1986 Weatherly 620, registered N4623M, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Ulysses, Kansas. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
An in-flight fire and subsequent loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to extensive fire damage to the airplane and its fuel and electrical systems.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 2013 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ulysses, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly 620, built 1986
- Registration
- N4623M · no longer on the register · serial 1520
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, about 10 minutes after takeoff while in cruise flight at 200 feet above ground level, he smelled smoke in the cockpit. Within 10 seconds, dark smoke filled the cockpit. He turned the master switch to the "off" position, and the engine subsequently stopped producing power. He turned on the master switch and the fuel boost pump to restart the engine, but the engine did not restart. He executed a forced landing to a cornfield, and fire consumed most of the airplane. The examination of the wreckage revealed that the radial engine and the components located forward of the firewall exhibited minimal fire damage. The area that exhibited the most extensive fire damage was located between the chemical hopper and aft of the engine firewall; this area included the fuel boost pump, fuel strainer, and fuel lines. The source of the fire and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined due to the extensive fire damage to the airplane's fuel and electrical systems.
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during standing (engine(s) shutdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Not specified
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 15, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,099.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 20, 2013; 2.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,582 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ULS Ulysses KS at 11:20 pm
- Destination: 9V7 Eads CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on October 29, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Statement - Steve Rice | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | NTSB Materials Lab Email Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Wreckage Release Documents | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 1 - Wreckage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 2 - Radial Engine | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Photo 3 - Fuel Pump and Strainer | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo 4 - Fractured Fuel Line | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.