Smith Aerostar 601 accident near Danville, Illinois, November 8, 2001
On November 8, 2001 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Smith Aerostar 601, registered N128AC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Danville, Illinois (Vermilion County airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The separation of the main landing gear scissor assembly during landing for undetermined reasons, resulting in the directional control of the airplane not being possible.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 2001 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Danville, Illinois · Vermilion County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith Aerostar 601 · all Aerostar 601s on the register
- Registration
- N128AC · registry record · serial 61-0170-084
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane veered off of the runway during landing. The pilot reported that during the landing, he heard a loud noise and then the airplane veered off of the runway. Upon inspection, the landing gear scissor assembly was found broken loose from the upper mounting collar on the landing gear strut and the lower strut was rotated about 90 degrees. A request was made that the broken parts be sent to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator for further examination. The parts were not received. No other anomalies were found with the airplane or its systems that could be associated with a pre-impact condition.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 980 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 4,250 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,452 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 20, 2001; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKE Milwaukee WI at 4:45 pm
- Destination: DNV Danville IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 34, 3,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from DNV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.