Smith Aerostar 601P accident near Johns Island, SC
On April 5, 2004, a Smith Aerostar 601P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Johns Island, SC. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- April 5, 2004
- Place
- Johns Island, SC
- Aircraft
- Smith Aerostar 601P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.703°N, 80.025°W
- NTSB ID
- 20040413X00448
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On April 5, 2004, at 1526 eastern daylight time, a Smith Aerostar 601P, N869CC, registered to a pending applicant and operated by the commercial pilot, collided with the ground following a loss of power in one engine during initial climb after takeoff from Charleston Executive Airport, Johns Island, South Carolina. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The commercial pilot and the pilot-rated passenger received fatal injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage from impact and from post-impact fire. The flight departed Charleston Executive Airport, Johns Island, South Carolina, about 1524. A witness at a maintenance facility at Charleston Executive Airport stated the pilot stopped in and requested maintenance on the airplane. The witness reported he was too busy to look at the airplane, and he suggested the pilot call a facility at Charleston International Airport, Charleston, South Carolina. A witness at a maintenance facility at Charleston International Airport 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 bring the airplane over to have the problem looked at before returning to Florida, but the airplane did not arrive. A witness, who was an airline transport-rated corporate pilot, was standing on the ramp at Charleston Executive Airport and observed the airplane rolling for takeoff on runway 27. The witness stated t
Probable cause
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.
More accidents in SC
- Beech 200, Feb 4, 2006
- Piper PA-32R-300, Jul 2, 2023
- Beech 58TC, Dec 26, 1991
- Learjet LR60, Sep 20, 2008
- Mooney M20J, Apr 17, 2026
Browse: South Carolina · Smith 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.
