Weatherly 620B accident near Big Spring, Texas, September 2, 1999
On September 2, 1999 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Weatherly 620B, registered N4660M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Spring, Texas. 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
Fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's failure to refuel the airplane. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1999 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Big Spring, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly 620B
- Registration
- N4660M · no longer on the register · serial 1553
- 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 dirt terrace during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power as a result of fuel exhaustion. According to the pilot, he was applying malathion to a field when he noticed that the fuel warning light for the right fuel tank was illuminated. He switched the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank, and subsequently, the engine lost total power. He executed a forced landing to a field where the airplane impacted a dirt terrace and came to rest upright. The operator reported that the pilot stated that the airplane 'ran out of fuel.' Examination of the fuel system revealed that there was no fuel present in the left fuel tank, and only a 'trace' of fuel was found in the right fuel tank. There was no fuel in the main fuel line or the carburetor. The integrity of the fuel system was not compromised.
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; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 16,361 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 218 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 16,207 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,712 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 5, 1999; 170 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 21XS Big Spring TX at 9:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°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.
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.