# Accident 19990723009439A: Piper PA60601P, Oklahoma City, OK, July 23, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 23, 1999, 11:13 local time - Place: Oklahoma City, OK - Airport: Wiley Post Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.4994° N, 97.6396° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4994&lon=-97.6396&mi=10 - Aircraft: N345LS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N345LS-2013-08-13) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Smith AEROSTAR 601P (registry code 8360608, https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-aerostar-601p) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA60601P - Reported engine: LYC TIO540J2BD - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 1,500 total, 100 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW99FA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99FA199) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990723009439A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT WAS ON A MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT WHEN IT CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TAKE-OFF NEAR THE SOUTH END OF THE RWY, THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, THE ACFT WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JULY 23, 1999, AT 1113 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A SMITH AEROSTAR 601P TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N345LS, IMPACTED TERRAIN FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB FROM THE WILEY POST AIRPORT, NEAR BETHANY, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND FIRE. THE INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT DESTINED FOR SAN ANGELO, TEXAS. THE PILOT HAD FILED AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE TRIP; HOWEVER, HE DID NOT OPEN THE FLIGHT PLAN AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. ACCORDING TO A PILOT RATED WITNESS POSITIONED ON RUNWAY 17L, "THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT ENGINE WAS PRODUCING A BLACK SMOKE DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL." THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE LEFT AFTER THE TAKEOFF ROLL. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE WI ITNESS HEARD THE PILOT TRANSMIT TO THE TOWER THAT "HE HAD A PROBLEM." THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE PILOT DID NOT ELABORATE ON THE PROBLEM. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RADIO CALL, THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO "PITCH NOSE HIGH SIMULTANEOUSLY YAWING AND ROLLING TO THE LEFT." THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE ROLL OVER, NOSE DOWN WHILE TURNING AND IMPACT THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO A SECOND WITNESS DRIVING SOUTH ON A STREET PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY, "THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT ENGINE WAS PRODUCING PUFFS OF BLACK SMOKE." THE WITNESS STATED THAT "THE EXHAUST WAS NOT IN A STEADY STREAM LIKE NORMAL." INSTEAD, THE EXHAUST PRODUCED BY THE LEFT ENGINE WAS INTERMITTENT AS IF THE "ENGINE WAS MISSING OR SURGING." THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON AIRPORT PROPERTY IN AN OPEN AREA ALONGSIDE A STEEL I-BEAM STORAGE AREA. THE FUSELAGE WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. (.4) DURING TAKEOFF, THE TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO ROLL LEFT, PITCH NOSE DOWN, AND IMPACT TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE HAD A PROBLEM. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS PRODUCING BLACK SMOKE DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD SLOWED TO APPROXIMATELY 60-70 MPH PRIOR TO ROLLING TO THE LEFT. A MECHANIC, WHO WORKED ON THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, STATED THAT THE PILOT REPORTED BEING UNABLE TO MAINTAIN MANIFOLD PRESSURE (MP) WITH THE LEFT ENGINE. THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE LEFT ENGINE'S RUBBER INTERCONNECT BOOT, WHICH ROUTES INDUCTION AIR BETWEEN THE TURBOCHARGER CONTROLLER ELBOW AND THE FUEL SERVO, WAS 'GAPING OPEN.' THE MECHANIC RESEATED THE BOOT AND TIGHTENED THE CLAMP. THE PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE AND REPORTED NO PROBLEMS. DURING A SECOND FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS AGAIN UNABLE TO MAINTAIN MP. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THE 'HOSE HAD SLID OFF AGAIN' AND THAT IT HAD BEEN REINSTALLED AND HE 'FELT SURE IT WAS O.K.' A WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE PILOT WORKING ON THE LEFT ENGINE THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT. AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE LEFT ENGINE'S INTERCONNECT BOOT WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED. THE CLAMP SECURING THE BOOT WAS NOT LOCATED. NO OTHER PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINES, PROPELLERS, TURBOCHARGERS, OR FUEL SERVOS. (-23) A SMITH AEROSTAR 601P TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N345LS, DEPARTED RUNWAY 17L. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT ENGINE WAS REPORTED PRODUCING BLACK SMOKE DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT AFTER TAKEOFF. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE PILOT TRANSMITTED TO THE TOWER THAT "HE HAD A PROBLEM." IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RADIO CALL, THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO "PITCH NOSE HIGH AND YAWING AND ROLLING TO THE LEFT." THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE ROLL OVER, NOSE DOWN WHILE TURNING THE IMPACT THE GROUND. THE FUSELAGE WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE. ## 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 FTW99FA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW99FA199), Jul 23, 1999: Smith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 601P (N345LS), Bethany, OK, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain the minimum controllable airspeed. A factor was the disconnected rubber interconnect boot, which resulted in the partial loss of left engine power. 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.