Smith Aerostar 601 accident near Murrieta, California, February 5, 2005
On February 5, 2005 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Smith Aerostar 601, registered N23LL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Murrieta, California (French Valley airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's misjudgment of distance/altitude on final approach, which resulted in an undershoot of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 5, 2005 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Murrieta, California · French Valley · 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
- N23LL · registry record · serial 61-0252-100
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane touched down short of the runway pavement edge and collapsed the right landing gear. The pilot reported no problems with the approach. After touchdown, the right main landing gear was sheared off due to traversing over a 6-inch lip at the approach end of the runway. The airplane skidded off the right side of the runway into the grassy area of the airport. A construction crew was working on the approach end of the runway, but did not see the actual touchdown of the airplane. Impressions consistent with the airplane's landing gear were noted in the dirt just before the pavement edge that became skid marks in the asphalt runway surface and continued to the airplane's point of rest. According to the Airport/Facilities Directory the runway is 4,600 feet long; however, the airport had a planned runway extension and construction was underway that resulted in a runway length reduction along runway 18/36. A notice of the construction and the length reduction was recorded onto the AWOS system. The AWOS notice stated in part "Runway length 18/36 will be 4,100 [feet] until further notice." A 500-foot displaced threshold was clearly marked with orange work cones.
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: 2,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,700 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CNO Chino CA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: F70
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from RAL, 27 miles away
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.