Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P accident near Wrightstown, New Jersey, August 28, 1985
On August 28, 1985, a Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P, registered N90342, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wrightstown, New Jersey (Mcguire Afb airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1985
- Place
- Wrightstown, New Jersey · Mcguire Afb
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P AEROSTAR 6
- Registration
- N90342 · no longer on the register · serial 61P0209-020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN ENROUTE CLIMB THE PILOT NOTICED A MANIFOLD PRESSURE LOSS ON THE LEFT ENGINE. OIL PRESSURE AND TEMP GAUGES WENT OFF AND THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SECURED BY THE PIILOT. DURING SHUTDOWN A PASSENGER INFORMED THE PILOT THAT THE LEFT WING WAS TURNING BROWN. PILOT MADE RAPID DESCENT AND EMERGENCY LANDING AT AIR FORCE BASE. INSPECTION REVEALED THAT TAILPIPE HAD BROKEN AND ROTATED OUT OF RELATIVE POSITION ALLOWING HOT EXHAUST GAS TO START FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FIRE WAS PROGRESSING AFT TOWARD MAIN WING SPAR.THERE HAVE BEEN TWELVE SIMILAR OCCURRENCES REPORTED ON THIS TAILPIPE ASSEMBLY TO DATE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 274 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 3,590 as pilot in command; 380 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,514 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 11, 1985; 116 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEB Teterboro NJ at 8:00 pm
- Destination: N92 Middletown DE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:30 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.