Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P accident near Klammath Falls, OR
On April 27, 1997, a Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Klammath Falls, OR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 27, 1997
- Place
- Klammath Falls, OR
- Aircraft
- Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 42.340°N, 121.589°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07821
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 27, 1997, approximately 1245 Pacific daylight time, a Smith Aerostar 601P, N30LL, impacted the surface of Lake of the Woods about 23 miles northwest of Klamath Falls International Airport (Kingsley Field), Oregon. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, received fatal injuries, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot, who departed Bellingham International Airport, Bellingham, Washington, about three hours and twenty minutes earlier, was reportedly conducting a 14 CFR Part 91 flight en route to Midland, Texas, in order to visit a relative. The pilot, who had not filed a flight plan, was operating the aircraft in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. On the morning of the accident, the pilot went to his aircraft and contacted Aviation Northwest with a request for fuel. When the fueler arrived at the aircraft, the pilot first had him top off the fuselage tank. Then according to the fueler, the pilot pushed the fuselage tank drain valve in order to drain and inspect fuel from the bottom of the tank. When he pushed in the valve, it stuck in the open position, and he had to wiggle it in order to get it to pop out and close. Once it popped out, the fuel stopped flowing and there did not appear to be any leaks. After inspecting the fuel that had been drained from the fuselage tank, the pilot told the fueler to fill both wing tanks to the top because "...he needed every drop he could get." When fueling was completed, the aircraft had taken on 85.9 gallons of aviation fuel, and all tanks had been filled to the
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to set the throttle of his second failed engine to 'Cracked-1/2-Open' as called for in the Engine Failure/Restart checklist, followed by a high-power engine surge. Factors include the pilot's delay in landing for refueling, the pilot becoming lost/disoriented, drug impairment, and fuel exhaustion.
More accidents in OR
- Cessna T207A, Aug 21, 1986
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- Cessna 172, Jun 23, 2012
Browse: Oregon
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
