Weatherly 620B accident near Tetonia, Idaho, June 21, 1999
On June 21, 1999 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Weatherly 620B, registered N2033N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tetonia, Idaho. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A failure of the right magneto drive gear shaft. Factors include the absence of any suitable terrain on which to perform an emergency landing, and the rough/uneven condition of the terrain on which the pilot was forced to land.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 1999 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Tetonia, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Weatherly 620B
- Registration
- N2033N · no longer on the register · serial 1584
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Just after leveling off at 200 feet AGL, the aircraft experienced a significant partial loss of engine power. Because, according to the pilot, the aircraft was not able to stay airborne, he attempted an emergency landing in rough/uneven terrain. During the landing, the right wing caught the terrain and the aircraft was spun around. During this sequence of events, the aircraft's main gear collapsed. The investigation determined that the right magneto gear drive shaft had sheared. No evidence of any other malfunction or anomaly was found.
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: 15,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 800 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 8, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W R-985- AN1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Newdale ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
Other NTSB records under N2033N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.