Weatherly 201C accident near Sterling, Colorado, April 23, 1994
On April 23, 1994 at about 4:15 pm local time, a Weatherly 201C, registered N1295W, was destroyed in an accident near Sterling, Colorado (Mertens airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN INADVERTENT STALL. FACTORS WERE FUEL EXHAUSTION AND THE PILOT'S FAILUE TO REFUEL THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1994 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Sterling, Colorado · Mertens · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly 201C · all 201Cs on the register
- Registration
- N1295W · no longer on the register · serial 1003
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NEWLY-HIRED PILOT WAS MAKING HIS THIRD FLIGHT IN AIRPLANE MAKE AND MODEL, AND HIS SECOND COMPANY WATER SPRAYING PRACTICE FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF PILOT, AS THE AIRPLANE MADE THE APPROACH, THE ENGINE 'SOUNDED ROUGH, LIKE IT WAS RUNNING OUT OF GAS.' OTHER WITNESSES SAID THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. THE AIRPLANE PULLED UP, BANKED RIGHT, ROLLED INVERTED, AND DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND. THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE SAID HE FOUND LESS THAN 1 GALLON OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK AND THE LEFT TANK WAS EMPTY. THE RIGHT TANK HELD 25 GALLONS USEABLE FUEL AND THE LEFT TANK HELD 40 GALLONS. THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF AT 0815. THE OPERATOR HEARD THE PILOT REPORT SWITCHING TANKS AT 0930. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 1015. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT TANK. THE OPERATOR SAID THE ENGINE CONSUMED BETWEEN 21 AND 26 GALLONS PER HOUR, DEPENDING ON POWER SETTING.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,600 hours in all; 2 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 2,097 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,086 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 1993; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985-AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from AKO, 27 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.