- Date
- May 3, 1989, 19:01 local (May 4, 1989, 00:01 UTC)
- Place
- New Iberia, LA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N90619Smith, Ted Aerostar 601
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890503010689A
- Case key
- 22768
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot failed to maintain a proper climb immediately after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was excessive manifold pressure indications for the left engine. The pilot's diverted attention in dealing with that condition most probably resulted in the loss of control.
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
Witnesses saw the airplane depart and last saw and heard it with the landing gear down and both engines running at what they called normal takeoff power. Evidence indicated that the airplane then made a sharp left turn and descended to the ground, left wing first. Evidence indicated that the right engine was developing high power while the left engine was developing somewhat less than takeoff power. Teardown of the left engine revealed metal erosion on the top edges of the pistons with no corresponding marks on the cylinder walls. Some of this erosion was from previous operation and some was from very recent operation. There was no teardown of the right engine. Other than the erosion of the pistons, nothing was found to indicate any preimpact problems with the airframe or powerplants.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90619
- Reported as
- Smith, Ted Aerostar 601
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61-0327-110
- Airframe hours
- 3,434
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-F1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Harry A. Veite
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 26, 1988 · 123 hours before
- Departed
- ARA
- Destination
- 22G · Lorain-Elyria, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ARA · Acadiana Regional, runway 16, 8,002 × 200 ft, concrete
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,079 total · 1,956 in this make and model · 73 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LFT, 18 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.