# Accident 19980904022659A: Smith AEROSTAR 600, Marietta, PA, September 4, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 4, 1998, 20:40 local time
- Place: Marietta, PA
- Airport: Donegal Springs Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.0503° N, 76.5509° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0503&lon=-76.5509&mi=10
- Aircraft: N600JB, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N600JB-2003-10-31) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Smith AEROSTAR 600 (registry code 8360602, https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-aerostar-600) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported engine: LYC IO540G1B5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 1,185 total, 398 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98FA179](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98FA179) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980904022659A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) AIRCRAFT LOST AN ENGINE ON TAKE-OFF, PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO AIRPORT AND LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED. PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. (.4)THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED AT NIGHT AFTER MAINTENANCE ON THE LEFT ENGINE.  THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND WHILE ON BASE LEG STRUCK THE GROUND INVERTED AND NOSE DOWN.  THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER WAS FOUND FEATHERED.  ON THE LEFT ENGINE, THE #5 CYLINDER WAS OFF THE ENGINE AND THE #5 PISTON WITH THE CONNECTING ROD STILL ATTACHED WERE FOUND NEARBY.  INTERVIEWS REVEALED THAT DURING MAINTENANCE, THE #1,3,5,AND 6 CYLINDERS HAD NOT BEEN TIGHTENED.  SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD WORKED ON THE AIRPLANE AT VARIOUS STAGES OF THE WORK.  THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY DID NOT HAVE A SYSTEM TO PASS DOWN WHAT HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, AND THE FAA DID NOT REQUIRE THE TRACKING OF WORK ACCOMPLISED IN OTHER THAN 14 CFR PART 121, OR 14 CFR PART 145 FACILITIES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC98FA179](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98FA179), Sep 5, 1998: Smith, Ted Aerostar TS-600 (N600JB), Marietta, PA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed during a precautionary landing which resulted in a loss of control while operating with one engine shutdown. An additional cause was the improper…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.