No fatalities

24 Mar 2012: SMITH AEROSTAR 601P — Louis F. Fabre — Casterville, TX

Casterville, TX, United States

On 24 Mar 2012, a SMITH AEROSTAR 601P operated by Louis F. Fabre was involved in an aviation accident near Casterville, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot did not maintain control of the airplane while circling to land. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot flying a GPS approach decided to circle to land after reaching the missed approach point, but the aircraft entered an unusually high sink rate during the turn, leading to an impact off the runway.

Accident Overview

The pilot was conducting a GPS approach and upon reaching the missed approach point, reported being able to see the runway. However, the pilot stated he was not in a position to land and elected to circle to land. During the maneuver, the aircraft was configured with full flaps and maintained an airspeed of 140 miles per hour.

Flight Details

While turning, the airplane entered what the pilot described as an "unusually high" sink rate. The pilot responded by adding full power and leveling the wings, but the descent continued. The aircraft subsequently impacted terrain off the end and to the right of the runway.

Impact and Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions that resulted in the accident.

Contributing factors

PilotPerformance/control parameters — Not attained/maintained