Loss of control Accident Ted Smith Aerostar 601 LV-WES, Tuesday 20 December 2011
ASN logo
 

Date:Tuesday 20 December 2011
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic AEST model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Ted Smith Aerostar 601
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: LV-WES
MSN: 61-0480-127
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:About 6 km from Las Varillas, 170 km east of Córdoba -   Argentina
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:SAAR
Destination airport:SACO
Investigating agency: JIAAC
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot of a Ted Smith Aerostar 600 declared an emergency call around 23:00 LT and reported that there were serious problems in bad weather with thunderstorms around 23:00 LT.
Then the ATC contact was lost and the aircraft crashed about 6 km from Las Varillas, about 170 km east of Córdoba.

The wreckage was found in the morning, 21st of December, around 09:30 LT with both the pilot and his son deceased.

note:
The aircraft is a Ted Smith Aerostar 601. It was manufactured before the company was taken over by the Piper Aircraft Corporation.

Cause
In a general aviation flight, during the cruise phase, there was a loss of control of the aircraft and subsequent impact against the ground, due to flying in the vicinity of a multicell with convective activity, due to a combination of the following factors:
- Incorrect appreciation of the evolution of the weather conditions en route
- Inadequate flight planning
- Self-induced complacency
- Inadequate risk assessment in the face of weather hazards

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: JIAAC
Report number: 
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

http://www.lavoz.com.ar/noticias/sucesos/cayo-avioneta-campo-varillas-hay-dos-muertos
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1434419-desaparece-una-avioneta
http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6700763&nseq=2 (photo)

https://jiaac.gob.ar/files/25011.pdf

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

23 June 2001 LV-WES 0 Chacabuco, BA min
6 June 2008 LV-WES 0 Ingeniero Taravella - Córdoba (SACO), CD min

Images:


Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
21-Dec-2011 07:20 guingo2a Added
21-Dec-2011 08:01 RobertMB Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
21-Dec-2011 08:21 guingo2a Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Nature, Source, Damage, ]
21-Dec-2011 09:23 Anon. Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, ]
21-Dec-2011 09:38 RobertMB Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative, ]
08-Dec-2013 07:25 eduardo baratti Updated [Narrative, Photo, ]
26-Jul-2020 08:50 KagurazakaHanayo Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Narrative, ]
26-Jul-2020 08:52 harro Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2025 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org