Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 accident near Eva, Alabama, September 13, 1985
On September 13, 1985 at about 4:11 pm local time, a Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600, registered N680CC, was destroyed in an accident near Eva, Alabama (Huntsville-Madison County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 1985 · about 4:11 pm local time
- Place
- Eva, Alabama · Huntsville-Madison County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600 AEROSTAR 6
- Registration
- N680CC · registry record · serial 60-0031
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DRG AN IFR ARRIVAL/DSCNT, THE PLT STATED HE 'HAD TO FEATHER 1 ENG, I HAVE AN OIL LEAK & I'M JUST TRYING TO DSCND . . .' HE THEN SAID HE WAS DSCNDG THRU 5300'. AS HE CONTD THE APCH, HE INFORMED THE CONTROLLER HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO GO AROUND SINCE THE HYDR SYS WAS POWERED BY THE AFFECTED (R) ENG. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT SAID HE WAS AT 1500' & WAS HAVING A HARD TIME HOLDING ALT. A WITNESS HEARD & SAW THE ACFT IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE AT LOW ALT, THEN SAW THE ACFT DIVE TOWARD THE GROUND. IT IMPACTED IN A STEEP DSCNT JUST SHORT OF A LONG FIELD & BURNED. THE R PROP WAS FEATHERED, BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF OIL STARVATION IN EITHER ENG. THE PLT'S NEIGHBOR SAID HE (THE PLT) WAS AWARE OF A HYDR LEAK, BUT HE WAS AWAITING THE ANNUAL INSPN (DUE IN SEP) TO REPAIR IT. AN EXAM REVEALED THE FLAPS WERE PARTIALLY EXTENDED, THE LNDG GEAR CONTROL WAS IN THE 'UP' PSN, & THE GEAR WAS DOWN. THE FLT MANUAL STATED THAT WITH A HYDR FAILURE DOWNSTREAM OF THE ACCUMULATOR, THE FLAP HANDLE SHOULD BE IN 'NEUTRAL' TO PREVENT GEAR & FLAP EXTN. THE FLAP CONTROL COULD NOT BE FND.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,993 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 326 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-G1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LAL Lakeland FL at 1:35 pm
- Destination: HSV Huntsville AL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36R, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; not recorded at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from HSV, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.