Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) crash, Apr 23, 2020 (1 killed)
Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) accident on April 23, 2020 near Craig, Colorado, United States with 1 fatality. Cause: Student pilot's flight into...
- Date: April 23, 2020
- Aircraft: Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601)
- Location: Craig, Colorado, United States
- Fatalities: 1
- Phase of flight: En route
- Cause: Student pilot's flight into terrain for undetermined reasons
A student pilot who was not qualified to fly the Aerostar bought it in Pennsylvania and flew it west in one day with several stops. After leaving Fort Collins at night he climbed to about 22,000 feet without ATC contact, made erratic heading and altitude changes and entered a tight left turning descent. The aircraft struck terrain about 15 miles west of Craig and the pilot was killed. The NTSB could not determine why the aircraft hit the ground.