- Date
- July 24, 1994, 15:07 local (19:07 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N63317Smith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 601
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 7, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940724019159A
- Case key
- 37577
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
An electrical system short for undetermined reasons.
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
The pilot stated that during cruise flight smoke and heat started coming from under the instrument panel, followed by failure of the communication radios. He then turned off the master battery switch and smoke 'poured' out from under the instrument panel. He elected to ditch the airplane near a boat.
Factual narrative
On July 24, 1994, about 1507 eastern daylight time, a Piper Aerostar 601, N63317, registered to Island Air Export, Inc., was ditched in the Atlantic Ocean 23 nautical miles east-northeast from the Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was not recovered and is presumed to be destroyed. The airline transport-rated pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight originated about 1458 from the Palm Beach International Airport, West Palm Beach, Florida.
The pilot stated that smoke and heat started coming from under the instrument panel followed by failure of the communication radios. He then turned off the master battery switch and smoke "poured" out from under the instrument panel. He elected to ditch the airplane near a boat and he was rescued by the occupants.
The airplane was not recovered; therefore, no determination could be made as to the reason for the reported smoke in the cockpit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63317
- Reported as
- Smith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 601 (AEROSTAR 6)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61-0054-103
- Airframe hours
- 7,100
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-P1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Island Air Exports, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 28, 1993
- Departed
- PBI · West Palm Bch, FL
- Destination
- MYA · Walker Cay, OF
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PBI · Palm Beach International
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,400 total · 4,000 in this make and model · 6,350 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 23 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.