CEN17LA038

Factual narrative

On November 12, 2016, about 1300 central standard time, a Weatherly Aviation Company 620B airplane, N2035J, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Coleman, Texas. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Burkett Aviation under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 as an aerial spraying practice flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, with no flight plan filed. The local flight departed a private strip about 1200. Flying his initial flight in the model of the accident airplane, the pilot stated that a total loss of engine power occurred during climb following a practice spray pass. The pilot executed a forced landing into an adjacent wheat field. Due to trees and a fence in the path of his rollout, he aggressively applied brake pressure, which resulted in a nose over and damage to the vertical stabilizer. The owner had informed the pilot prior to takeoff that he needed to switch from left to right tank after flying for about 40 minutes. His advice was based on the engine's typical fuel burn of about 33 gallons per hour and fuel tank capacity of 35 gallons of each wing. The owner estimated the airplane was airborne for about one hour. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and local mechanic revealed fuel leaking from a breached left tank, with the right tank intact and empty. The fuel selector was in the right tank position. After flipping the airplane upright, the propeller was rotated, with normal engine continuity. Fuel was added to the right tank and the engine was started. The engine ran for about 10 seconds and then stopped. Additional engine starts attempts were not successful, due to unavailability of a powered electrical source. The right fuel tank low level warning light was tested and initially found to inoperable. After adjusting the sensor in the right fuel tank, the warning light operated normally. The owner stated the low fuel warning system had been intermittent during previous flights. The commercial pilot was practicing agricultural application operations on his first flight in the accident airplane. While climbing after completing a spray pass, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power and the pilot made a forced landing during which the airplane nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed that the right fuel tank was intact and void of fuel, while the left tank was breached, with fuel leaking from the tank. The fuel selector was in the right tank position. No engine anomalies were observed. The pilot had been advised by the owner to switch fuel tanks after flying about 40 minutes, but failed to do so. His advice was based on the engine's typical fuel burn of about 33 gallons per hour and fuel tank capacity of 35 gallons per wing tank. The owner estimated the airplane was airborne for about one hour before the accident occurred. Given the airplane's time in flight and the lack of fuel found in the right wing tank after the accident, it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel starvation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Workload management-(general)-Pilot - C
• F Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-Fuel indication system-Malfunction - F