Butler AEROSTAR 601 accident near Lake Butler, Florida, March 16, 1990
On March 16, 1990 at about 3:45 am local time, a Butler AEROSTAR 601, registered N7443S, was destroyed in an accident near Lake Butler, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INFLIGHT FAILURE OF THE LEFT ENGINE WHICH WAS CAUSED BY INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION BY COMPANY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL RESULTING IN HEAT DAMAGED MAGNETO LEADS AS A RESULT OF A MISSING EXHAUST FLANGE-TO-TURBOCHARGER SEAL. IN ADDITION, THE INFLIGHT POWER LOSS OF THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS CAUSED BY THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES IN THE AIRPLANE OPERATING HANDBOOK AND LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE RESULTING IN FUEL STARVATION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE. DARKNESS WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1990 · about 3:45 am local time
- Place
- Lake Butler, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Butler AEROSTAR 601 AEROSTAR 6
- Registration
- N7443S · no longer on the register · serial 61-0063
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 14,000 FT THE LEFT ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT DIVERTED TO TAMPA, AND 34 MINUTES LATER THE RIGHT ENGINE QUIT. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE ROOF OF A COVERED SIDEWALK AND THEN TREES. TEARDOWN OF THE LEFT ENG REVEALED THAT THE SEAL BETWEEN THE EXHAUST FLANGE & TURBOCHARGER WAS NOT INSTALLED; BOLT CLAMP WAS FINGER TIGHT. HEAT HAD MELTED WIRING HARNESS & MAG GROUNDING LEADS INSULATION; BOTH 'P' LEADS WERE GROUNDED. PILOT STATED THAT AFTER LOSING THE LEFT ENG HE INITIATED A LEFT TANK TO RIGHT ENGINE CROSSFEED, AND AFTER 20 MINUTES OF SINGLE ENG FLIGHT IN THIS CONFIGURATION THE RIGHT ENG QUIT. FLIGHT MANUAL STATES TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN CASE OF ONE ENG FAILURE. IN ADDITION, IT WARNS THAT WHEN FLYING ON ONE ENG & CROSSFEEDING FUEL, ABSOLUTE COORDINATED FLIGHT MUST BE MAINTAINED TO PREVENT UNPORTING OF THE TANK'S FUEL PICKUP TUBE WHEN THE TANK IS NOT FULL.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,548 hours in all; 2,024 in this make and model; 350 in the last 90 days; 109 in the last 30 days; 3,835 as pilot in command; 628 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,234 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 7, 1990; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AA1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRG Jacksonville FL at 2:50 am
- Destination: Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:58 am from GNV, 29 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.