# NTSB MIA02LA061: Smith, Ted Aerostar 601P, N715RM, Belle Glade, FL, February 16, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 16, 2002, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC) - Place: Belle Glade, FL - Coordinates: 26.680067, -80.669075 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.6801&lon=-80.6691&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report August 26, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 54202 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA02LA061 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54202/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54202 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA02LA061 ## Probable cause the pilot continued flight into known adverse weather resulting in a loss of control and subsequent impact with the ground. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight encounter with weather, maneuvering - weather condition - turbulence(thunderstorms) - flight into known adverse weather - continued, pilot in command (cause) - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - aircraft control - not possible, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - open field ## Analysis The pilot was aware of thunderstorms along his route of flight. He paralleled a line of storms for about 20 minutes looking for a hole in the storms to penetrate, without any success. He turned, and climbed to an altitude of 13,500 feet. He noticed what seemed to be an opening to the south, and turned southbound, through the hole, for about 2 or 3 miles, and then the hole closed. He turned the airplane to the right to reverse course, when he inadvertantly penetrated a cell. At this point he said he "lost control of the airplane, and was turned upside down…...heading straight down towards the ground...…traveling at a high rate of speed..….the airspeed indicator was pegged." At an altitude of about 2,000 feet, he was able to level the wings, reduce power and raise the nose. He said he was then able to slow the airplane for a "controlled crash landing," straight a head in a sugar cane field. According to the Sheriff's Report, he struck the field in which the aircraft was lying in immediately after slowing the airplane. The distance from the initial impact area to where the airplane came to rest was about 75 yards. ## Factual narrative On February 16, 2002, about 0800 eastern standard time, a Ted Smith Aerostar 601P, N715RM, registered to and operated by Trans Porter International Airlines, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 business flight impacted the ground near, Belle Glade, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed. The commercial rated-pilot reported serious injuries. The flight had originated from Boca Raton, Florida, at 0730, and was en route to Marathon, Florida, to pick up some individuals and then fly them to North Carolina. The pilot said he was aware of reported thunderstorms near the departure airport, and along his route of flight. He said, initially he "paralleled" the weather to the west and north of the line of storms. He flew west for about 20 minutes looking for a hole in the storms to penetrate, without any success. He turned back to the east, and climbed to an altitude of 13,500 feet. He noticed what seemed to be an opening to the south, and turned southbound "through the hole," for about 2 or 3 miles, when "the hole closed." He turned the airplane to the right to reverse course, when he "accidentally penetrated a cell." At this point he said he "lost control of the airplane, and was turned upside down...heading straight down towards the ground...traveling at a high rate of speed...the airspeed indicator was pegged." He said he was able to level the wings, reduce power and raise the nose. He said he was then able to "slow" the airplane for a "controlled crash landing," straight ahead in a sugar cane field, about 25 miles southeast of Belle Glade, Florida. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Report, the pilot told a deputy at the accident scene, that at an altitude of about 13,000 feet, in the middle of a large storm, he lost control of the airplane, the airplane began spinning out of control, that he was not able to regain control until he reached 2,000 feet, where he was able to lift the nose of the airplane, and impacted in the field. The sheriff's report stated that the distance from the initial impact area to where the airplane came to rest was about 75 yards. The deputies observed about 15 to 20 gallons of fuel. The airplane was released to Mr. Charles Maynard, Claims Adjuster for for the owner's insurance company, on February 20, 2002. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N715RM](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N715RM-2018-08-24), registration cancelled 2018-08-24, S/N 61P-0216-024, built 1975 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Smith, Ted Aerostar 601P - Registry model: [Smith AEROSTAR 601P](https://openairdocs.org/model/smith-aerostar-601p) (registry code 8360608) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 61P0216-024 - Airframe hours: 1950 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-51A5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Registered owner: Trans Porter Intl Airlines - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 5, 2001, 130 hours before - Departed: BCT, Boca Raton, FL - Destination: MTH, Marathon, FL ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 45; injuries: serious; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review September 5, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 1,884 total, 120 in this make and model, 1,380 as pilot in command, 55 in the last 90 days, 23 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 7,000 ft broken - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 63 °F - Altimeter: 30.07 inHg - Observed at: PBI, 25 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020216014429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020216014429A), Feb 16, 2002: Piper PA60601P, Belleglade, No damage. (-23) Pilot lost control in thunderstorm. He was able to level the wings & pull the nose up prior to impact with the ground. ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 29, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54202. 4.6 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 327 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40387348&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Reports from Local Agencies (item 2, .PDF, 183 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40387350&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Reports%20from%20Local%20Agencies-Redacted.PDF - Photos of wreckage, taken and provided by Insurance Adjuster[no negatives] (item 3, .PDF, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40163639&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos%20of%20wreckage,%20taken%20and%20provided%20by%20Insurance%20Adjuster%5Bno%20negatives%5D-Master.PDF - Photo of the wreckage taken and provided by the Insurance Adjuster [No Negative] (item 4, .PDF, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40163663&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20of%20the%20wreckage%20taken%20and%20provided%20by%20the%20Insurance%20Adjuster%20%5BNo%20Negative%5D-Master.PDF 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. --- 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.