Smith AEROSTAR 601P accident near Aurora, Colorado, March 19, 2014
On March 19, 2014 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Smith AEROSTAR 601P, registered N90464, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (aerobatics) near Aurora, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's operation of the airplane while intoxicated, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 19, 2014 · about 10:50 pm local time · cases in 2014
- Place
- Aurora, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith AEROSTAR 601P P · all AEROSTAR 601Ps on the register
- Registration
- N90464 · no longer on the register · serial 61P-0261-051
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot's friend reported that the pilot planned to fly his recently purchased twin-engine airplane over his friend's home to show it to him and another friend. The pilot's friends and several other witnesses reported observing the pilot performing low-level, high-speed aerobatic maneuvers before the airplane collided with trees and then terrain. A 1.75-liter bottle of whiskey was found in the airplane wreckage. A review of the pilot's Federal Aviation Administration medical records revealed that he had a history of alcohol dependence but had reportedly been sober for almost 4 years. Toxicological testing revealed that the pilot had a blood alcohol content of 0.252 milligrams of alcohol per deciliter of blood, which was over six times the limit (0.040) Federal Aviation Regulations allowed for pilots operating an aircraft.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (aerobatics)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (aerobatics) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 26,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,975 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 30, 2013
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TSIO-540-AA1A (piston); 600 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TSIO-540-AA1A (piston); 1,191 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: Aurora CO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 22,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from BKF, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on August 8, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Conversations, Witnesses (3) | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Photo 1 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Photo 2 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Photo 3 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | NTSB Photo 4 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | NTSB Photo 5 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | NTSB Party Form, Lycoming | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | NTSB Recorder Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | NTSB Wreckage Retention - Release Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Toxicological Report (FAA) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N90464: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Smith AEROSTAR 601 124 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Smith 184 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-540-AA1A · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-540-AA1A · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 383 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,486 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN14FA163.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.