Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601 accident near Estes Park, CO
On April 30, 2000, a Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Estes Park, CO. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 30, 2000
- Place
- Estes Park, CO
- Aircraft
- Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.370°N, 105.521°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X20795
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 30, 2000, at 1211 mountain daylight time, a Smith Aerostar 601, N7421S, was destroyed when it impacted Commanche Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, Colorado, at 12,600 feet above mean sea level (msl). The private certificated non-instrument rated pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The flight was a cross-country flight from Page, Arizona, to Fort Collins, Colorado, operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. The flight departed Page, at approximately 1030. It became known that the aircraft was overdue to its destination of Fort Collins, when the family contacted Denver flight service on the morning of May 1, 2000. The pilot and his passenger were expected to be back in Fort Collins from Page on the afternoon of April 30th. After an alert notice (ALNOT) was issued, the route airports were checked, and an electronic search was completed. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP), and other airborne units conducted an aerial search. The aircraft was located on May 4th by the crew of a Colorado National Guard helicopter. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private pilot certificate issued February 26, 1982, with a single engine land rating. He added a multiengine rating on April 9, 1982. He did not posses an instrument rating. At the time of the accident, the pilot held a third class medical certificate, issued on June 11, 1998. There were no limitations on the medical certificate. No flight experience records we
Probable cause
A descent below the surrounding terrain, by the pilot, in IMC conditions. Factors were high mountainous terrain, clouds, inaccurate weather evaluation by the pilot, and the pilot's flight into IMC conditions.
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Browse: Colorado
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
