- Date
- June 18, 1982, 21:30 local (Jun 19, 1982, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Martha'S Vineyard, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N71MASmith Aerostar 601
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820618034189A
- Case key
- 71599
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
During an ILS with the autopilot coupler on, a high sink rate developed toward the end of the approach. The pilot uncoupled the autopilot and began a missed approach, but the aircraft hit the top of a tree. He diverted and landed at providence, RI without further incident. After landing, substantial damage of the right flap and right propeller was found. A bench check of the bendix FCS-810 autopilot revealed that the transistors in the glide slope wash-out circuit were faulty. They were intermittently applying a positive voltage that resulted in a false pitch gyro signal and a downward hardover.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N71MA
- Reported as
- Smith Aerostar 601 (AEROSTAR 6)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61-0217-094
- Airframe hours
- 1,700
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tech Industries, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Tech Industries, Inc.
- Departed
- Lancaster, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MVY · Martha'S Vineyard, runway 24, 5,499 × 0 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,344 total · 648 in this make and model · 2,250 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 200° at 2 knots
- Temperature
- 142 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.