Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P incident near Las Vegas, Nevada, April 17, 1987
On April 17, 1987 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P, registered N90518, suffered minor damage in an incident near Las Vegas, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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 incident. 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
- April 17, 1987 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P AEROSTAR 6
- Registration
- N90518 · no longer on the register · serial 61P0315085
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
APRX 422 FLT HRS BFR THE FLT, THE SMITH AEROSTAR 601P WAS MODIFIED IAW MACHEN STC SA980NW. DRG LEVEL OFF AT 16,500' MSL,BLISTERING & DISCOLORATION WERE NOTED ON THE #1 ENG NACELLE. THE PLT SHUT DOWN & FEATHERED THE #1 ENG, THEN RETURNED TO THE DEPARTURE ARPT & LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG, AN EXAM REVEALED AN IN-FLT FIRE HAD OCCURRED, WHICH RESULTED IN MINOR DMG OF THE ENG ACCESSORY SECTION. TWO EXHAUST CLAMPS WERE FOUND LOOSE AT THE EXHAUST STACK WASTE GATE CONNECTION. HOT GASES FROM THE LOOSE CONNECTION HAD ESCAPED & IMPINGED ON THE TURBOCHARGER OIL SUPPLY HOSE (MACHEN PN CAA04S160). THE HOSE WAS WIRE REINFORCED & FIRE SLEEVED, BUT WAS LOCATED CLOSE TO THE EXHAUST STACK. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD RUPTURED FROM PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HEAT. ESCAPING OIL FROM THE HOSE CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE HOT EXHAUST STACK & TURBOCHARGER, WHICH RESULTED IN A FIRE.
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: 1,800 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,731 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 2, 1986; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming L/TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sierra Telephone CO., INC.
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 9:30 pm
- Destination: Fresno CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:48 pm from LAS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.