Weatherly 201C accident near Timber Lake, South Dakota, June 1, 1992
On June 1, 1992 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Weatherly 201C, registered N1290W, was destroyed in an accident near Timber Lake, South Dakota (Timber Lake Municipal airport). 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
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF THE PROPELLER CONTROL DURING TAKEOFF AND INITIAL CLIMB.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 1992 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Timber Lake, South Dakota · Timber Lake Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly 201C · all 201Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1290W · no longer on the register · serial 1001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE STATED HE LIFTED OFF IN GROUND EFFECT AND SETTLED BACK TO THE GROUND IN A FIELD PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY. A POST IMPACT FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DISCLOSED THE PROPELLER CONTROL SET TO MID RANGE. WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT STATED THE AIRPLANE SEEMED SLOW AND NOT AS LOUD AS PREVIOUS TAKEOFFS.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,229 hours in all; 266 in this make and model; 111 in the last 90 days; 62 in the last 30 days; 2,761 as pilot in command; 191 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,527 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 28, 1992; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: D58
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,880 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.