On August 15, 1985, a Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 601P (registration N9763Q) was involved in an aviation accident near Prestonburg, KY. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and altitude during approach, resulting in a hard landing and loss of control, due to encountering a downdraft. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A sudden loss of altitude due to a downdraft caused a hard landing, resulting in a tire blowout and substantial damage when the aircraft left the runway.
What happened
The pilot reported that while established on short final approach, the aircraft encountered a significant downdraft. This meteorological condition caused a sudden and unexpected loss of altitude. The reduced height at touchdown resulted in a hard landing impact.
Upon contact with the runway surface, one of the main landing gear tires blew out. The loss of tire integrity contributed to the aircraft veering off the side of the runway. Witnesses observed the aircraft contacting trees located on the approach end of the runway before ultimately coming to rest short of the paved surface. The impact sustained substantial damage to the airframe.
The investigation
Investigation of the physical evidence confirmed that the aircraft had left the runway environment. The condition of the landing gear indicated a tire failure consistent with the high-energy impact of the hard landing. No mechanical failures were identified prior to the event.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and altitude during approach, resulting in a hard landing and loss of control, due to encountering a downdraft.