Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) crash, Mar 14, 2024
Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) accident on March 14, 2024 near Grass Valley, California, United States with no fatalities. Cause: The pilot...
- Date: March 14, 2024
- Aircraft: Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601)
- Location: Grass Valley, California, United States
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: The pilot failed to maintain directional control in gusting wind (NTSB).
A Piper Aerostar landing at Grass Valley in gusting winds of 15 to 25 knots aborted at about 20 feet, then a gust put the aircraft in a nose down, right wing low attitude and it hit the runway. The pilot, the only person aboard, survived. The NTSB blamed failure to maintain directional control in gusts.