Weatherly 201C accident near Stephen, Minnesota, July 18, 1997
On July 18, 1997 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Weatherly 201C, registered N9054W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stephen, Minnesota (Stephen 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 exceeding the design stress limits of the aircraft. A factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1997 · about 3:30 pm local time · cases in 1997
- Place
- Stephen, Minnesota · Stephen Municipal · cases near this airport · 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
- N9054W · registry record · serial 1022
- 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 said he made a wheel landing on runway 17 with a crosswind from the left at 5 knots, gusting to 12 knots. He said that during the landing, the right main landing gear collapsed. An inspection of the airplane after the accident revealed no preexisting anomaly, and the right main gear collapsed from what appeared to be a side load.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,805 hours in all; 784 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days; 137 in the last 30 days; 1,757 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 64 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985-14B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D41 at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,700 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 5 knots, gusting 12
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N9054W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9054W on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Weatherly 201 12 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Weatherly 15 aircraft on the register
- Engine: P&W R-985-14B 9 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Stephen Municipal · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Minnesota 1,544 since 1982 · 209 in the last ten years
- Minnesota 6,969 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N9054W 2 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CHI97LA219.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.