- Date
- April 29, 1982, 12:58 local (17:58 UTC)
- Place
- Portland, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N133TSSmith Aerostar 600
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 29, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820429012719A
- Case key
- 72300
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While descending near the destination, the left engine stopped running. The pilot attempted 2 airstarts which were unsuccessful. He feathered and secured the left engine and requested radar vectors to the nearest airport. A visual approach was made to the hunt airport at Portland, TX. The pilot stated that he was having no difficulty in maintaining airspeed even with the gear down until he was on final approach. On short final, he extended full flaps. He stated that as soon as he put the flap handle down, he realized he made a mistake, but it was too late to take any action to prevent the aircraft from landing short. The aircraft touched down on rising terrain between the end of the runway and a nearby shoreline, traveled up the embankment and onto the runway, then burned. The pilot escaped with only minor injuries. The fire damaged left engine was disassembled, but no preimpact failure was found. Reportedly, the plane had not been flown since feb 82. Before takeoff, the battery was dead.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N133TS
- Reported as
- Smith Aerostar 600 (AEROSTAR 6)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 60-0130-057
- Airframe hours
- 2,415
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-G1B5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert R. Gunn
- Registered owner
- Robert R. Gunn
- Departed
- Austin, TX
- Destination
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 9R5 · Hunt, runway 14, 2,700 × 40 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 5,500 total · 18 in this make and model · 5,500 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 178 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.