Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) crash, Jan 2, 1997 (4 killed)
Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) accident on January 2, 1997 near Chesapeake, Virginia, United States with 4 fatalities. Cause: The pilot failed to...
- Date: January 2, 1997
- Aircraft: Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601)
- Location: Chesapeake, Virginia, United States
- Fatalities: 4
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: The pilot failed to maintain adequate altitude and clearance above terrain after takeoff. Self-induced pressure to depart before the weather arrived was a related factor.
A Piper PA-61 Aerostar departed Chesapeake for Atlanta in the evening with full tanks after a last-minute refuel, and the pilot was reportedly anxious to leave before bad weather arrived. It failed to climb to adequate clearance over terrain after takeoff and crashed shortly after departure. All four people aboard were killed and the aircraft was destroyed.