Smith AEROSTAR 601P N869CC

Summary

On 5 April 2004 at about 19:26 local time, a Smith AEROSTAR 601P registered N869CC, operated by Paul C. Evans (president Aero Dreams, LLC), was involved in an accident near Johns Island, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 April 2004 at 19:26

Classification

Accident

Location

Johns Island, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Charleston Executive Airport (KJZI)

Coordinates

32.7028, -80.0250

Aircraft

Smith AEROSTAR 601P

Registration

N869CC

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Paul C. Evans (president Aero Dreams, LLC)

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Johns Island → Charleston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL04FA090

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during emergency descent, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and uncontrolled descent into trees and terrain. A factor was the loss of engine power in one engine due to pre-ignition/detonation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness at a nearby maintenance facility stated the pilot telephoned him and told him that, during engine start, one engine sputtered and abruptly stopped. The witness stated the pilot told him he wanted to fly the airplane over to have the problem looked at. A witness, who was an airline transport-rated corporate pilot, observed the airplane on takeoff roll and stated the airplane rotated "really late," using approximately 4,000 feet of runway. He stated the airplane climbed to about 400 or 500 feet, then descended in a left spin into the trees. The airplane collided with the ground and caught fire. Examination of the right engine revealed external fire damage and no evidence of mechanical malfunction. Examination of the left engine revealed external fire damage. Disassembly examination of the left engine revealed the rear side of the No. 5 piston from top to bottom was eroded away with characteristics consistent with detonation. The spark plugs displayed "normal" deposits and wear, except the No. 5 bottom plug was contaminated with a fragment of piston ring material, the No. 5 top plug had a dark sooty appearance, and the nose core of the No. 2 bottom plug was fragmented. Flow bench examination of the left fuel servo revealed no abnormalities. The fuel flow manifold diaphragm was heat-damaged. Flow bench examination of the fuel injector lines and nozzles on a serviceable fuel flow manifold revealed the lines and nozzles were free of obstruction. A review of Emergency Operating Procedures for the Aerostar 601P revealed the following: "Normal procedures do not require operation below the single engine minimum control speed, however, should this condition inadvertently arise and engine failure occur, power on the operating engine should immediately be reduced and the nose lowered to attain a speed above ... the single engine minimum control speed."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.