Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601 accident near Erie, Pennsylvania, July 19, 1985
On July 19, 1985 at about 7:43 am local time, a Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601, registered N71MA, was destroyed in an accident near Erie, Pennsylvania. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1985 · about 7:43 am local time
- Place
- Erie, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601 AEROSTAR 6
- Registration
- N71MA · registry record · serial 61-0217-094
- 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
DURING A NORMAL IFR CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT OF AIR OHIO FLIGHT 21, DID NOT RESPOND TO ATC INSTRUCTIONS. AIR OHIO FLIGHT 21 CONTINUED FOR 40 MINUTES WITH NO REPLY AND WITHOUT DEVIATION IN ALTITUDE OR HEADING UNTIL THE DISCRETE TARGET DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR OVER LAKE ERIE. THE PILOT HAD NOT SLEPT FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 HOURS PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF COMMUNICATION RESPONSE.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 179 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,475 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 23, 1985; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,700 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1AS (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: SDF Louisville KY
- Destination: BFT Cleveland OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:50 am from ERI, 12 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.
Other NTSB records under N71MA 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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC85FA189.