Aero Commander 500A N601MK
20 May 1994 · Livermore, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 20 May 1994 at about 00:54 local time, a Aero Commander 500A registered N601MK, operated by Mellor, Michele, M., was involved in an accident near Livermore, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 00:54
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Livermore, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.6808, -121.7503
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500A
- Registration
- N601MK
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Mellor, Michele, M.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Hayward → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA94FA121
People
4 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
A FUEL SYSTEM LEAK, INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT (PIC), AND BY THE NON-FLYING PILOT/PASSENGER INTENTIONALLY ALLOWING OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH A KNOWN DEFICIENCY (FUEL LEAK). A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRCRAFT HAD NOT FLOWN FOR 2 YEARS. BEFORE FLIGHT, A MECHANIC SAW EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKING AT DRAIN HOLES IN THE LEFT WING ROOT, JUST AFT OF THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. HE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER, WHO SHORTLY THEREAFTER, DEPARTED IN THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE PILOT (PIC), THE AIRCRAFT OWNER & A PASSENGER/MECHANIC. ABOUT 14 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, RADAR DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT TRANSITIONING FROM A CLIMB TO A DESCENT, WHILE IN A 180 DEGREE TURN. ALSO, WITNESSES SAW SMOKE/FLAMES TRAILING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES & POWER LINES, THEN IT CRASHED IN A SMALL FLAT FIELD IN HILLY TERRAIN. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED MELTED ALUMINUM SPATTERS ON THE LEADING EDGE & UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. ALSO, 'FOCALIZED' FIRE DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON THE CABIN BEHIND THE DRAIN HOLES IN THE LEFT WING ROOT. TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID (MARIJUANA) WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER'S BLOOD (0.004 UG/ML) & URINE (0.010 UG/ML).
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aero Commander 500 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Sep 1994 | Aero Commander 500S | Westman Isles, Iceland | Eagle Air International | Fatal | 2 |
| 11 Dec 1994 | Aero Commander 500S | Millington, Tennessee, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 1993 | Aero Commander 500-B | Susank, Kansas, United States | Central Airlines, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Mar 1993 | Aero Commander 500 | Everglades City, Florida, United States | Palm Beach Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 1993 | Aero Commander 500A | White Mills, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 10 Jul 1995 | Aero Commander 500 | Treasure Cay, Bahamas | Palm Beach Aviation | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-28R-201 | Fort Bragg, California, United States | Sundance Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 May 1994 | Schweizer G-164B | Yuba City, California, United States | Sutter Butte Dusters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 1994 | Cessna T210L | Kettleman City, California, United States | Willie Alves Rodrigues | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 1994 | Maule M-5-235C | Columbia, California, United States | White, James L. | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 1994 | Cessna 150L | Rio Linda, California, United States | Hinckley, Thomas, F. | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1994 | Robinson R-22 | Chico, California, United States | Sierra Aviation | No injuries | - |