History of Flight
On January 23, 2010, at 1852 central standard time, a Smith Aerostar 601P, registration N222AQ, collided with terrain and a residence in Sugar Grove, Illinois. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. Four occupants of the residence were not injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post-impact fire. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane departed from Aurora Municipal Airport (ARR) at 1850, destined for Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) in Denver, Colorado.
After departing runway 09, the airplane was issued a left turn to a heading of 270 degrees and instructed to contact departure control. The pilot reported climbing from 1,300 feet to 3,000 feet. The controller cleared the pilot to 4,000 feet, which the pilot acknowledged. No further communication occurred, and no radar data were available.
The airplane impacted trees, terrain, and a residence located approximately 2.3 miles north-northeast of ARR. The homeowner reported hearing a loud noise and feeling the house shake; she, her mother, and two children exited the front door. A neighbor informed her that an airplane had hit the house.
An FBO employee stated that the airplane had been topped off with fuel upon arrival the previous night and was hangared. On the accident day, the pilot arrived about 15 minutes before takeoff, used his computer to check weather and file a flight plan, mentioned fog and areas of ice along the route, and departed without a preflight inspection. The employee noted that the pilot and passenger seemed to be in a hurry.
A witness 1.5 miles northeast of ARR reported the airplane was very loud as it flew overhead, just clearing an oak tree. Other witnesses reported hearing the engines and that the weather was foggy. The local fire chief, who lived near the accident site, heard the airplane fly low with engines producing power.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 37, held a commercial pilot certificate with single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument ratings. He received his instrument rating on April 10, 2009, and passed his multi-engine practical on June 15, 2009, after an initial failure on June 12, 2009. His most recent FAA medical was April 2, 2008, with no limitations. Logbook records were not found. On an insurance application dated October 27, 2009, the pilot reported 503.2 total flight hours (437.9 as pilot-in-command), 72.6 hours of instrument time, and 0 hours in the Aerostar 601.
A flight instructor who provided instruction for the pilot's commercial certificate and instrument rating stated that the pilot had previously owned two other airplanes and traded the last one for the Aerostar. The instructor tried to dissuade the pilot from buying the Aerostar, believing it was too much airplane for him. Another instructor, who provided instruction in the accident airplane for insurance purposes, reported 52 hours of flying over 7 days in November 2009, including numerous instrument approaches. The instructor told the pilot the airplane was "unforgiving" and lacked lateral stability.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a 1974 Smith Aerostar 601P, serial number 61P-0164-004. It was a twin-engine, pressurized airplane not certified for flight into known icing. The pilot purchased the aircraft on November 10, 2009. Total time at the accident was not determined; the last annual inspection was dated November 11, 2009, with 2,969.9 hours. The last pitot-static and altimeter check was October 9, 2007.
The airplane was equipped with Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 engines. Both engines were overhauled in June 2002 and reinstalled on August 1, 2002. The last logbook entry for both engines was an annual inspection on November 5, 2009, with 527.9 hours since overhaul. The aircraft was topped off with 133.2 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel before the accident flight.
Meteorological Information
At 1852, weather at ARR (2.3 miles south) reported: wind 140 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 1/2 mile with fog, vertical visibility 100 feet, temperature 4°C, dew point 4°C, altimeter 29.63 inches of mercury. Witnesses reported fog. The pilot filed a flight plan via computer but no record of requesting weather information was found.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage path followed a magnetic heading of 220 degrees. Initial impact was with a 60-foot tree, where a wingtip strobe light, red glass, and an outboard section of the right wing were found. The tree had impact marks at 20 and 40 feet from the top. A second tree, also about 60 feet tall, had its top half broken off. The first ground scar, 4 feet in diameter and 12 inches deep, contained the right propeller. A second scar, 4 feet in diameter and 20 inches deep, held the left engine, left propeller, left wing sections, and most of the fuselage. Beyond that were the empennage, horizontal stabilizers, elevators, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. The right engine was further along. A 9-foot section of the right wing, including the engine nacelle, was partially embedded in the garage of a residence, with fire damage inside. Three vehicles in the garage sustained impact and fire damage. The wreckage path from first tree to garage was about 120 feet. Small pieces penetrated the kitchen windows; cockpit wiring was on the driveway; cockpit bottom skin was in the front yard.
The fuselage and cockpit were destroyed. The lower cockpit separated; the cockpit area was impacted and burned. Two gyros were found separated from their instruments; one had rotational scoring, the other had scoring and scrapes. The tachometer showed both engine needles bent near 2,500 rpm. The tail cone separated forward of the horizontal stabilizers. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached but bent; the left horizontal and elevator were separated. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were separated.
The right wing separated into three sections; the largest (9 feet) included the nacelle, landing gear, and flap. The left wing fragmented; the largest piece (5 feet) was the inboard section with impact and fire damage. Flight control continuity could not be established.
Left propeller: two blades attached; one straight, one bent and twisted; third blade separated with "S" bend and chordwise scratches. Right propeller: two blades attached; one twisted forward, one twisted rearward with tip missing; third blade bent rearward with tip missing and chordwise scratches.
Left engine: separated from airplane. Oil sump, intake, exhaust damaged. Cylinder #2 head broken; spark plugs missing; remaining plugs normal. Fuel injector full of mud; fuel present; screen clean. Boroscope showed no anomalies. Left magneto contained water; no spark. Right magneto destroyed. Vacuum pump intact. Engine could not be rotated due to impact-displaced crankcase.
Right engine: separated; data plate missing; serial number retrieved. Cylinder #1 head broken; crankcase cracked across top. Propeller separated; hub part on flange. Push rods damaged; spark plugs missing or broken; remaining plugs normal. Fuel injector separated; screen clean; fuel present. Left magneto had water; no spark; right magneto sparked. Both turbochargers rotated freely. Vacuum pump intact. Crankshaft rotated; thumb compression and valve continuity observed. Valves intact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on January 25, 2010, performed by the Kane County Coroner's Office, listed the pilot's cause of death as "Aircraft crash resulting in massive blunt force trauma." FAA toxicology tests detected Dextromethorphan in the liver and kidney; Dextromethorphan is an active ingredient found in over-the-counter cold and cough medications.