Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 N7526S

Summary

On 2 November 1989 at about 13:45 local time, a Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 registered N7526S, operated by Cherokee Leasing Inc., was involved in an accident near Apopka, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 November 1989 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Apopka, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Orlando Executive (ORL)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600

Registration

N7526S

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Cherokee Leasing Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Shreveport → Orlando

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA90FA021

2 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE/CLEARANCE ABOVE THE WATER, WHILE PROCEEDING OVER A LAKE AND APPROACHING THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIR TAXI ACFT DEPARTED SHREVEPORT, LA, AT APRX 0500 CST ON AN UNSCHEDULED, DOMESTIC, CARGO FLT. AT ABOUT 0815 EST, THE PLT RPRTD ON COMPANY FREQ THAT HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30 MIN FROM THE DESTN (ORLANDO, FL). SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED IN THE NW PART OF LAKE APOPKA, APRX 15 TO 20 MI WNW OF THE DESTN ARPT. A WITNESS HEARD IT CRASH, THEN SAW PARTS FROM THE ACFT, BUT DID NOT SEE THE ACTUAL IMPACT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT IMPACTED IN A SHALLOW DESCENT, WHILE IN A SLIGHT LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE, TRAVELING AT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE ACFT OR ENG WAS FOUND, THOUGH THE ACFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DMGD & SOME OF THE WRECKAGE WAS NOT RECOVERED FROM THE LAKE. THE ORLANDO WX WAS IN PART: 2500' SCT, VIS 6 MI WITH FOG & HAZE, WIND FROM 350 DEG AT 4 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.