20120324003739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Smith AEROSTAR 601P · Castroville, TX · March 24, 2012

Date
March 24, 2012 · 10:20 local
Place
Castroville, TX
Airport
Castroville Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N602BV
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN12CA202
Reported as
Smith Aerostar 601P
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
5,402 total242 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The FAR 91 IFR flight originated from kaxh with intended destination of kcvb. During the first approach to kcvb, pilot stated he was to FAR to the right of center-line runway 15 and decided to abort and perform a left circle to land manuever. During the second attempt to land, while turning left base to final, the aircraft lost lift and impacted the ground. The left hand wing contacted the ground causing loss of approximately the outer 24 inches of wing and ruptured the fuel system. Overload forces caused the landing gear to fail. The aircraft came to rest approximately 200 feet to the right and 200 feet beyond the threshold of runway 15. There were no injuries to the three occupants and no post crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

THE FAR 91 IFR FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM KAXH WITH INTENDED DESTINATION OF KCVB. DURING THE FIRST APPROACH TO KCVB, PILOT STATED HE WAS TO FAR TO THE RIGHT OF CENTER-LINE RUNWAY 15 AND DECIDED TO ABORT AND PERFORM A LEFT CIRCLE TO LAND MANUEVER. DURING THE SECOND ATTEMPT TO LAND, WHILE TURNING LEFT BASE TO FINAL, THE AIRCRAFT LOST LIFT AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE LEFT HAND WING CONTACTED THE GROUND CAUSING LOSS OF APPROXIMATELY THE OUTER 24 INCHES OF WING AND RUPTURED THE FUEL SYSTEM. OVERLOAD FORCES CAUSED THE LANDING GEAR TO FAIL. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET TO THE RIGHT AND 200 FEET BEYOND THE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 15. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE THREE OCCUPANTS AND NO POST CRASH FIRE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.