Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601 N72AW
6 November 1992 · Wahpeton, North Dakota, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 6 November 1992 at about 22:15 local time, a Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601 registered N72AW, operated by Crop View Corp., was involved in an accident near Wahpeton, North Dakota, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wahpeton, North Dakota, United States
- Nearest airport
- Harry Stern (BWP)
- Coordinates
- 46.2599, -96.6009
- Aircraft
- Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601
- Registration
- N72AW
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Crop View Corp.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Saint Charles
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI93FA028
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Probable cause
OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL'S IMPROPER MAINTENANCE (INSTALLATION).
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
DURING THE INITIAL GROUND RUN, THE RIGHT ENGINE SURGED, HOWEVER POWER WAS REGAINED AND THE TAKEOFF CONTINUED. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, THE RIGHT ENGINE SURGED AGAIN AND THE ELECTRIC FUEL BOOST PUMP WAS TURNED ON, BUT FUEL PRESSURE WOULD NOT STABILIZE. THE PILOT PERFORMED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. WHILE TAXIING A PASSENGER NOTED A FIRE IN THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES WITH THE MIXTURES, OPENED THE DOOR, AND HE AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS EVACUATED THE AIRPLANE. THE ENGINE FIRE CONTINUED, EVEN THOUGH AIRPORT PERSONNEL AND A LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT APPLIED FIRE SUPPRESSANT. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AFTER THE PILOT RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE AND TURNED OFF THE MASTER SWITCH. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE FLEXIBLE FUEL LINE BETWEEN THE MECHANICAL FUEL PUMP AND THROTTLE CONTROL BODY WAS LOOSE AT THE FUEL PUMP END.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1992 | Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601 | Prescott, Arizona, United States | Robert C. Reid | No injuries | - |
| 3 Mar 1993 | Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 | Panama City, Florida, United States | Cherokee Leasing, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Jul 1994 | Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601 | Atlantic Ocean | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1989 | Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 | Utica, New York, United States | U.s. Check, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Nov 1989 | Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 | Apopka, Florida, United States | Cherokee Leasing Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Jun 1988 | Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 | Catano | Executive Air Charter | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 1992 | King BOWERS-FLYBABY | Buffalo, North Dakota, United States | Neil G. Kovash | No injuries | - |
| 17 Dec 1992 | Piper PA-30 | Bowman, North Dakota, United States | Weather Modification, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Oct 1992 | Schweizer H-300 | Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States | University of North Dakota | No injuries | - |
| 24 Oct 1992 | Piper PA-25-260 | Trenton, North Dakota, United States | Jamestown Aviation, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Nov 1992 | Piper PA-28-180 | Makoti, North Dakota, United States | Paul M. Sonnenberg | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 1992 | Beechcraft F33A | Langdon, North Dakota, United States | Larson Implement | No injuries | - |