Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601A accident near Genoa, Nevada, December 13, 1984
On December 13, 1984 at about 10:00 am local time, a Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601A, registered N9781Q, was destroyed in an accident near Genoa, Nevada. It was a business 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 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
- December 13, 1984 · about 10:00 am local time
- Place
- Genoa, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601A AEROSTAR 6
- Registration
- N9781Q · no longer on the register · serial 61P-0409-145
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT HAD FLOWN FROM CARSON CITY, NV TO SHREVEPORT, LA ON 12/10/84 FOR BUSINESS. AT 1530 ON 12/12/84, HE DEPARTED ON AFLT TO CORONA,CA WITH REFUELING STOPS AT ALBUQUERQUE, NM & PHOENIX, AZ. HE DEPARTED PHOENIX AT 2100, BUT ENCOUNTERED WX & RETURNED TO PHOENIX WHERE HE REFUELED AGAIN & OBTAINED A LENGTHY WX BRIEFING. HE THEN ELECTED TO RETURN TO HIS HOMEARPT AT CARSON CITY & TOOK OFF AT 2351. WHEN THE ACFT DID NOT ARRIVE, A SEARCH WAS INITIATED. RADAR DATA REVEALED AN UNIDENTIFIED TARGET THAT DISAPPEARED NEAR GENOA, NV. DURING A SEARCH IN THAT AREA, THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND WHERE THE ACFTHAD CRASHED NEAR THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN ABOUT 5 MI NORTH OF THE PLT'S HOME. THE ELEVATION WAS APRX 9050 FT. IMPACT OCCURRED ON A WESTERLY HEADING, ABOUT 2 HRS BEFORE MOONSET, ON THE SHADED SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, IN A NEAR WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE. NO PREIMPACT/MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION/FAILURE WAS FOUND, BOTH ENGS/PROPS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF POWER. THE PLT'S WIFE SAID HE SOMETIMES FLEW OVER THEIR HOUSE TO LET HER KNOW HE WOULD BE HOME SOON. COMPLETE AUTOPSY/TOX CHECK NOT PSBL.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,100 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (expired)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,788 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 1984; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ
- Destination: O04 Carson City NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, bright
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 am from RNO, 28 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.