Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) crash, Apr 5, 2004 (2 killed)
Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) accident on April 5, 2004 near Charleston-Executive (Johns Island), South Carolina, United States with 2...
- Date: April 5, 2004
- Aircraft: Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601)
- Location: Charleston-Executive (Johns Island), South Carolina, United States
- Fatalities: 2
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during an emergency descent, causing an inadvertent stall and spin. Loss of power from one engine due to detonation was a contributing factor.
A Piper PA-61 Aerostar 601P departing Johns Island, South Carolina, had lost one engine during start, and the pilot elected to fly it anyway. The aircraft rotated late, climbed to about 400 to 500 feet, then spun left into trees and burned. Both occupants were killed.