Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) crash, Aug 3, 2004 (6 killed)
Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) accident on August 3, 2004 near Lakeway, Texas, United States with 6 fatalities. Cause: Pilot's failed short-field...
- Date: August 3, 2004
- Aircraft: Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601)
- Location: Lakeway, Texas, United States
- Fatalities: 6
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: Pilot's failed short-field takeoff technique and subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed in the climb, resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
A Piper PA-61 Aerostar operated for a jointly owned business flight from Lakeway to Oklahoma City failed to climb after a short-field takeoff on a warm day and stalled after clipping trees. The aircraft rolled inverted and dived to the ground, killing all six occupants. The NTSB found that the takeoff performance margin was very small and that the pilot had a history of enforcement actions and an unfinished inspection on the aircraft.