Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 N554AC

Summary

On 23 October 1987 at about 07:32 local time, a Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 registered N554AC was involved in an accident near Oshtemo Townshp, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

23 October 1987 at 07:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Oshtemo Townshp, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Kalamazoo (AZO)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Smith Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600

Registration

N554AC

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Milwaukee → Cleveland

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

CHI88FA010

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT CRUISE ALTITUDE (9,000 FEET) FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED THE LOSS OF RIGHT ENGINE POWER. CHICAGO ARTCC REPORTED THE CLOSEST AIRPORT WAS KALAMAZOO, 28 MILES WEST. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND AND AT 0330:53 CHICAGO ARTCC REPORTED N554AC WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES FROM KALAMAZOO AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED 'MY RIGHT ENGINE COWLING IS GONE...I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO MAKE IT.' WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT AT 'TREE TOP LEVEL' AND IMPACT IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA NEAR INTERSTATE 94, 5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED IMPROPERWELD REPAIRS TO THE RIGHT ENGINE CASE AND SEPARATION OF THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER FROM THE CASE DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING IN THE THROUGH BOLTS AND STUDS. THE TOP SECTION OF THE ENGINE COWLING SEPARATED DUE TO THE FORCE OF THE CYLINDER SEPARATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.