Accident Ted Smith Aerostar 601A N9781Q, Thursday 13 December 1984
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Date:Thursday 13 December 1984
Time:02:00
Type:Silhouette image of generic AEST model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Ted Smith Aerostar 601A
Owner/operator:Sam Lewis Mccormac
Registration: N9781Q
MSN: 61P-0409-145
Total airframe hrs:1788 hours
Engine model:Lycoming IO-540-S1A5
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Genoa, NV -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Executive
Departure airport:Phoenix, AZ (PHX)
Destination airport:Carson City, NV (O04)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
THE PLT HAD FLOWN FROM CARSON CITY, NV TO SHREVEPORT, LA ON 12/10/84 FOR BUSINESS. AT 1530 ON 12/12/84, HE DEPARTED ON AFLT TO CORONA,CA WITH REFUELING STOPS AT ALBUQUERQUE, NM & PHOENIX, AZ. HE DEPARTED PHOENIX AT 2100, BUT ENCOUNTERED WX & RETURNED TO PHOENIX WHERE HE REFUELED AGAIN & OBTAINED A LENGTHY WX BRIEFING. HE THEN ELECTED TO RETURN TO HIS HOMEARPT AT CARSON CITY & TOOK OFF AT 2351. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. RADAR DATA REVEALED AN UNIDENTIFIED TARGET THAT DISAPPEARED NEAR GENOA, NV. DURING A SEARCH IN THAT AREA, THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND WHERE THE ACFTHAD CRASHED NEAR THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN ABOUT 5 MI NORTH OF THE PLT'S HOME. THE ELEVATION WAS APRX 9050 FT. IMPACT OCCURRED ON A WESTERLY HEADING, ABOUT 2 HRS BEFORE MOONSET, ON THE SHADED SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, IN A NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT/MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION/FAILURE WAS FOUND, BOTH ENGS/PROPS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF POWER. THE PLT'S WIFE SAID HE SOMETIMES FLEW OVER THEIR HOUSE TO LET HER KNOW HE WOULD BE HOME SOON. COMPLETE AUTOPSY/TOX CHECK NOT PSBL. CAUSE:

Accident investigation:
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Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: SEA85FA035
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001214X41892

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:22 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ]

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