Smith, Ted Aerostar TS-600 accident near Marietta, Pennsylvania, September 5, 1998
On September 5, 1998, a Smith, Ted Aerostar TS-600, registered N600JB, was destroyed in an accident near Marietta, Pennsylvania (Donegal Springs Airpark airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to maintain airspeed during a precautionary landing which resulted in a loss of control while operating with one engine shutdown. An additional cause was the improper maintenance procedures that resulted in the #5 cylinder not being tightened down. A factor was the night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 5, 1998
- Place
- Marietta, Pennsylvania · Donegal Springs Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith, Ted Aerostar TS-600
- Registration
- N600JB · registry record · serial 60-0001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane departed at night after maintenance was performed on the left engine. The pilot attempted to return to the airport and while on base leg struck the ground inverted and nose down. The left engine propeller was found feathered. On the left engine, the # 5 cylinder was off the engine and the # 5 piston with the connecting rod still attached were found nearby. Interviews revealed that during maintenance, the # 1,3,5,and 6 cylinders had been removed and reinstalled; however, the # 5 cylinder had not been tightened. Several people had worked on the airplane at various stages of the work. The maintenance facility did not have a system to pass down what had been accomplished, and the FAA did not require the tracking of work accomplished in other than 14 CFR Part 121, or 14 CFR Part 145 facilities.
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: 1,185 hours in all; 398 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,068 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 27, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-G1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N71
- Destination: N67 Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,250 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.