Smith AEROSTAR 601P accident near Austin, Texas, September 10, 2014
On September 10, 2014 at about 6:26 pm local time, a 1975 Smith AEROSTAR 601P, registered N711YM, was destroyed in an accident during approach near Austin, Texas (Austin-Bergstrom International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient clearance from trees during the single-engine landing approach. Contributing to the accident was the loss of power in the left engine due to an improperly installed rubber boot that became dislodged and was then partially sucked into the fuel injector servo, which caused an excessively rich fuel-air mixture that would not support combustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 2014 · about 6:26 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas · Austin-Bergstrom International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith AEROSTAR 601P, built 1975 · all AEROSTAR 601Ps on the register
- Registration
- N711YM · no longer on the register · serial 61P-0215-023
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses reported observing the airplane flying slowly toward the airport at a low altitude. The left engine was at a low rpm; "sputtering," "knocking," or making a "banging" noise; and trailing black smoke. One witness said that, as the airplane passed over his location, he saw the tail "kick" horizontally to the right and the airplane bank slightly left. The airplane subsequently collided with trees and impacted a field 1/2 mile north of the airport. Disassembly of the right engine revealed no anomalies, and signatures on the right propeller blades were consistent with power and rotation on impact. The left propeller was found feathered. Disassembly of the left engine revealed that the spark plugs were black and heavily carbonized, consistent with a rich fuel-air mixture; the exhaust tubing also exhibited dark sooting. The rubber boot that connected the intercooler to the fuel injector servo was found dislodged and partially sucked in toward the servo. The clamp used to secure the hose was loose but remained around the servo, the safety wire on the clamp was in place, and the clamp was not impact damaged or bent. The condition of the boot and the clamp were consistent with improper installation. The time since the last overhaul of the left engine was about 1,050 hours. The last 100-hour inspection occurred 3 months before the accident, and the airplane had been flown only 0.8 hour since then. It could not be determined when the rubber boot was improperly installed. Although the left engine had failed, the pilot should have been able to fly the airplane and maintain altitude on the operable right engine, particularly since he had appropriately feathered the left engine.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach
The NTSB's findings
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel distribution › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 525 hours in all; 37 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,438 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2014; 36 hours since
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 1,049 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KRBD Dallas TX at 5:26 pm
- Destination: KAUS Austin TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17l, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 6:06 pm from KAUS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N711YM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN14FA494.