Weatherly 201B accident near Kent, Oregon, April 22, 1982
On April 22, 1982 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Weatherly 201B, registered N1262W, was destroyed in an accident near Kent, Oregon (Decker Strip airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1982 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Kent, Oregon · Decker Strip
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly 201B · all 201Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1262W · no longer on the register · serial 616
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS WORKING OFF OF A 1700 FT DIRT STRIP WITH A ROUGH SURFACE AND WITH A SLIGHT CROSS- WIND. THE ELEVATION WAS ABOUT 2650 FT MSL AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE PILOT INITIATED A TAKEOFF WITH ABOUT 1200 LBS OF 2-4-D ON BOARD. HE STATED THAT AT LIFT-OFF, THE LEFT WING DROPPED LOW AND HIT A GATE POST WHICH JAMMED THE AILERON. THE AIRCRAFT SLOWLY ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND CRASHED ABOUT 500 FT FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY.
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: 1,379 hours in all; 164 in this make and model; 1,220 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,236 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 18 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P & W 985 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Decker Air AG, INC
The flight
- Departed from: Kent OR at 10:44 am
- Destination: Kent OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 1,700 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 158°F (70°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.