Aerostar 601P accident near Coatesville, Pennsylvania, January 10, 2000
On January 10, 2000 at about 10:19 am local time, a Aerostar 601P, registered N905DK, was destroyed in an accident near Coatesville, Pennsylvania (Chester County G O Carlso airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow the published instrument approach procedure, and his failure to establish a climb after passing the missed approach point.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 10, 2000 · about 10:19 am local time
- Place
- Coatesville, Pennsylvania · Chester County G O Carlso · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aerostar 601P
- Registration
- N905DK · no longer on the register · serial 61P-0308-081
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While operating in IMC, the pilot was vectored to the final approach course for an ILS approach. Weather at the airport was ceiling 200 feet and visibility 3/4 mile in mist. The pilot was cleared for the approach, which he acknowledged. No other transmissions were received from the accident airplane. Radar data showed the airplane intercept the final approach course, then track inbound. The airplane crossed the outer marker 420 feet below the glide slope. The last radar return showed the airplane at 440 feet agl, 3.9 miles from the runway. The airplane impacted the ground at a shallow angle about 1 mile north of the airport on the opposite side of the missed approach procedure. The elevation of the accident site was approximately 40 feet lower than the airport. The pilot had about 350 hours of total flight experience. No pre-impact failures were identified with the airframe, engines, flight controls, or flight instruments.
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: 350 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (invalid medical for flight)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 9, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 5,700 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MIV Millville NJ at 9:45 am
- Destination: 40N
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 5,400 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 am from 40N, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.