- Date
- December 13, 1984, 02:00 local (10:00 UTC)
- Place
- Genoa, NV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9781QSmith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 601A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19841213076389A
- Case key
- 40025
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The plt had flown from carson city, NV to shreveport, la on 12/10/84 for business. At 1530 on 12/12/84, he departed on aflt to corona,CA with refueling stops at albuquerque, NM & phoenix, AZ. He departed phoenix at 2100, but encountered wx & returned to phoenix where he refueled again & obtained a lengthy wx briefing. He then elected to return to his homearpt at carson city & took off at 2351. When the acft did not arrive, a search was initiated. Radar data revealed an unidentified target that disappeared near Genoa, NV. During a search in that area, the wreckage was found where the acfthad crashed near the top of a mountain about 5 mi north of the plt's home. The elevation was aprx 9050 ft. impact occurred on a westerly heading, about 2 hrs before moonset, on the shaded side of the mountain, in a near wings level attitude. No preimpact/mechanical malfunction/failure was found, both engs/props showed evidence of power. The plt's wife said he sometimes flew over their house to let her know he would be home soon. Complete autopsy/tox check not psbl.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9781Q
- Reported as
- Smith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 601A (AEROSTAR 6)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P-0409-145
- Airframe hours
- 1,788
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-S1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Sam Lewis Mccormac
- Registered owner
- Eric W. Laub
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 1984 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- PHX · Phoenix, AZ
- Destination
- O04 · Carson City, NV
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
- 49
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Expired
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6,100 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 28 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.