Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) crash, Jan 5, 2012
Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) accident on January 5, 2012 near North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States with no fatalities. Cause: Loss of...
- Date: January 5, 2012
- Aircraft: Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601)
- Location: North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: Loss of directional control during the landing roll. The pilot attributed this to a main landing gear malfunction, but the evidence pointed to an inadvertent feathering of the left propeller during the accident sequence.
A privately operated Piper Aerostar landed at North Las Vegas Airport and the pilot, the only person aboard, lost directional control during the landing roll. The aircraft left the right side of the runway, spun and came to rest facing the opposite direction. Post-accident examination showed the left propeller feathered and the right engine under high power at impact, suggesting the pilot inadvertently feathered the left propeller during the sequence. Damage was substantial and no one was hurt.