Weatherly Aviation CO INC 620 accident near Lynchburg, South Carolina, September 17, 2026
On September 17, 2026 at about 11:20 am local time, a 1992 Weatherly Aviation CO INC 620, registered N20003, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lynchburg, South Carolina. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2026 · about 11:20 am local time
- Place
- Lynchburg, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly Aviation CO INC 620 B, built 1992 · all 620s on the register
- Registration
- N20003 · registry record · serial 1552
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On September 17, 2026, about 0720 eastern daylight time, a Weatherly Aviation Company Inc. 602B, N20003, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lynchburg, South Carolina. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. According to a family member, the pilot departed a private airstrip in Woodrow, South Carolina and flew to a private airstrip in Oswego, South Carolina. The airplane was loaded with about 20 gallons of herbicide, which was to be applied on a nearby corn field. The flight was planned to take about 30 to 45 minutes. According to the landowner, he received a phone call from a family member of the pilot asking if the pilot had completed the job. The landowner subsequently saw smoke in the vicinity of the corn field and found the airplane inverted and on fire. The accident site was located about 10 miles east of the departure location. The airplane impacted the ground on magnetic heading of 134o, at an elevation of 154 ft mean sea level (msl). The debris field measured 300 ft by 180 ft with all major components of the airplane located within the debris field. The right wing was impact separated and located 96 ft from the initial ground impact with the right main landing gear assembly still attached. The leading edge of the right wing was crushed aft with engine oil on the wing surface. The fuselage, left wing, and empennage came to rest on a magnetic heading of 255o. The fuselage was partially consumed by a postaccident fire from the cockpit forward. The left wing was partially attached to the fuselage with thermal damage at the wing root and the leading edge crushed aft. The empennage remained attached to the fuselage with the left elevator crushed. The rudder was impact separated and was found near the engine about 20 ft from the fuselage. The rudder exhibited thermal damage to the lower rudder cap. The engine, engine mount, and firewall were separated and came to rest about 20 ft from the fuselage. Engine cylinder Nos. 3, 4, and 5 exhibited impact damage to the cylinder head assemblies. The No. 2-cylinder head was fractured. It did not display impact damage and was found within the debris field. The accessory section of the engine, the firewall, and engine mount exhibited thermal damage. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
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
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,446 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 2026
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Oswego SC at 11:15 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 am from SSC, 19 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSSC 171155Z 00000KT 10SM FEW250 20/18 A3028 RMK AO2A SLP254 T01950181 10200 20178 52014 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ERA26FA341.