Aerostar 601P accident near Chesapeake, VA
On January 3, 1997, an Aerostar 601P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Chesapeake, VA. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 3, 1997
- Place
- Chesapeake, VA
- Aircraft
- Aerostar 601P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 36.670°N, 76.299°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07302
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 2, 1997, at about 1937 eastern standard time, a Aerostar 601P, N3CD, crashed in a heavily wooded swampy area approximately 1/2 mile north of runway 5, shortly after takeoff from the Chesapeake Municipal Airport in Chesapeake, Virginia. The pilot/owner and 3 passengers sustained fatal injuries, and impact and subsequent post-crash fire destroyed the airplane. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The pleasure flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, and was originating at the time of the accident. According to the airport manager, the pilot had dropped off his granddaughter and had taken on fuel. He stated that the pilot appeared to be in a hurry and had stated that he wanted to be airborne prior to the arrival of some bad weather. The airport manager fueled the airplane topping off the tanks and returned to his office. He said he did not watch the takeoff and was not aware of the accident until notified by local authorities later in the evening. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private certificate. He had private pilot privileges for airplane single engine land, multi-engine land and instrument airplane. The pilot's logbook was not recovered. The pilot's last proficiency check was undetermined due to the lack of a current logbook. The pilot reported 2100 civilian flight hours in all aircraft on the application for his most recent Third Class Medical Certificate, which was dated May 3, 1996. The medical certificate contained the limitation that the pilot must wear
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to maintain proper altitude/clearance above the ground after takeoff. A related factor was the pilot's self-induced pressure to depart before the arrival of bad weather.
More accidents in VA
- Boeing 757-200, Sep 11, 2001
- Beech B99, Sep 23, 1985
- Beech 65, Sep 10, 1995
- Beech 200, Oct 24, 2004
- Piper PA-31-310, Nov 14, 1982
Browse: Virginia · Aerostar aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
