Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) crash, Oct 23, 1980 (2 killed)
Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) accident on October 23, 1980 near Wilma, Florida, United States with 2 fatalities. Cause: Uncontrolled descent and...
- Date: October 23, 1980
- Aircraft: Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601)
- Location: Wilma, Florida, United States
- Fatalities: 2
- Phase of flight: En route
- Cause: Uncontrolled descent and subsequent crash for undetermined reasons, after in-flight overload failure and separation of the left wing and tail section.
On 23 October 1980 a Piper PA-61 Aerostar, N8250J, operated by West Coast Insulation Company, flying from Panama City to Fort Myers, lost its left wing and tail section in flight and crashed in an uninhabited area near Wilma, Florida. Both occupants were killed. The NTSB investigation (MIA81FA007) took five months.