Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) crash, Apr 23, 1999 (2 killed)
Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) accident on April 23, 1999 near Ruidoso-Sierra Blanca, New Mexico, United States with 2 fatalities. Cause: Pilot...
- Date: April 23, 1999
- Aircraft: Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601)
- Location: Ruidoso-Sierra Blanca, New Mexico, United States
- Fatalities: 2
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: Pilot failure to maintain aircraft control for undetermined reasons; low ceiling instrument conditions were a factor.
A Piper PA-61 Aerostar departed Ruidoso on runway 06 with zero flaps, not the normal 20 degrees, and banked steeply right after takeoff. It entered cloud at low altitude and made several 90 degree turns on radar before striking mountainous terrain about 2.5 nm from the runway. Both occupants were killed.