Weatherly 201B accident near Nickerson, Kansas, May 15, 2008
On May 15, 2008 at about 2:10 pm local time, a Weatherly 201B, registered N1264W, was destroyed in an accident during takeoff near Nickerson, Kansas (Private Airstrip 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2008 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Nickerson, Kansas · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly 201B · all 201Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1264W · no longer on the register · serial 618
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll the single-engine tail-wheel equipped agricultural airplane exited the left side of the 20-foot wide gravel runway despite the pilot's correction of full right rudder and right brake. Once off the runway, the airplane crossed a creek and impacted an embankment, before coming to rest in an upright position. The pilot was able to exit the airplane unassisted. Moments later the airplane was engulfed in flames. The pilot reported that following the accident he observed that the tail-wheel was unlocked and that it may have contributed to the accident. He further stated that the accident may have been prevented by checking that the tail-wheel was locked prior to takeoff.
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 on ground during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Airport facilities/design › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,010 hours in all; 197 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Nickerson KS at 2:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 2,600 ft by 20 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N1264W 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 DFW08CA145.