Weatherly 201B accident near Oberlin, Kansas, August 8, 1999
On August 8, 1999 at about 12:45 pm local time, a Weatherly 201B, registered N197SK, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oberlin, Kansas. 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Engine failure due to an undertorqued carburetor fulcrum screw. Contributing factors were the muddy terrain and the low altitude of the aerial operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 1999 · about 12:45 pm local time
- Place
- Oberlin, Kansas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly 201B · all 201Bs on the register
- Registration
- N197SK · registry record · serial 1645
- 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 airplane impacted a muddy field following a loss of engine power during an aerial application. The Bendix NA-R9B carburetor fulcrum screw and the carburetor float pivot pin exhibited chatter marks. The fulcrum screw was removed after turning it 1/2 of a turn. The fulcrum screw safety wire was broken. The NA-R9B float carburetor technical overhaul manual states that the fulcrum screw is to be torqued to a value of 100-120 in-lbs.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 6,742 hours in all; 536 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 847 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 5, 1999; 605 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:42 pm from MCK, 28 miles away
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.