History of Flight
On March 19, 2014, at 1650 mountain daylight time, a Smith Aerostar 601P twin-engine airplane, registration N90464, was destroyed when it collided with terrain while conducting low-level aerobatics near Aurora, Colorado. The airline transport rated pilot and registered owner sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The departure time and location were not determined.
A witness, a retired military pilot, stated that the pilot planned to fly over his home to show the recently purchased airplane to him and another friend. The witness observed the airplane approach from east to west, clearing a set of power lines by about five feet at an estimated speed of 200-230 knots. The airplane then made a sharp right turn north before pitching straight up and performing a "hammerhead stall." The pilot applied full right rudder, descended, and recovered about 20 feet above the ground. The airplane then headed south, flying over the witness's home at a height of 20 feet above the roof. The witness yelled for the pilot to stop. The pilot made two more extremely low passes. On the fifth pass, the airplane flew east to west, cleared the home by about five feet, and made a right 90-degree turn north. The witness heard a shotgun-like sound followed by an explosion and found the crash site.
Another witness, also a retired military pilot and professional airline pilot, observed the airplane from his home about 1/8-mile away. He saw low-altitude, high-bank turns and "wing-over" maneuvers for about five minutes before the impact. The airplane operated in a "high kinetic energy" manner with maneuvers flowing directly into each other, and the power remained at high RPM. The bank angles were estimated between 80-110 degrees. On the last wing-over, the airplane went nose down; the witness thought it lacked sufficient altitude to recover. As the pilot pulled up, the wings rolled level, rocked 15 degrees right, then back to level, and the airplane disappeared behind a ridge and impacted terrain. The witness believed an accelerated stall due to excessive wing loading may have occurred.
Numerous other witnesses reported low and erratic flying and called 911. Videos recorded by witnesses showed low flying and steep turns before the impact.
Pilot Information
The pilot held an airline transport rating for single- and multi-engine airplanes. His last FAA first-class medical was issued March 8, 2014, at which time he reported 26,000 flight hours. He was also an FAA-certified airframe and powerplant mechanic.
Meteorological Information
Weather reported at Buckley Air Force Base (about 2 miles northwest) at 1655: wind from 240 degrees at 6 knots, scattered clouds at 22,000 feet, visibility 10 miles, temperature 12°C, dewpoint -18°C, barometric pressure 29.97 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was examined on March 20, 2014. All major components were accounted for. The airplane came to rest in a rolling, partially wooded field on a heading of 360 degrees at 6,154 feet msl. The initial impact point was a 100-foot-tall tree. The airplane continued forward, impacting trees before the ground. Broken tree limbs showed 45-degree angular cuts with black paint transfer marks.
Two impact craters were found in line. The right propeller assembly was embedded in the first crater, the left in the second. All three blades remained attached. Slash marks were on the south edge of each crater. A long ground scar consistent with the wing's length/width was south of the first crater, with pieces of green navigational lens near its end.
The main wreckage came to rest several hundred feet forward, about 1,100 feet from the initial tree impact. It consisted of the empennage, center fuselage section, both wings, and cockpit. The center section was inverted with landing gear retracted, sustaining extensive impact and post-accident fire damage. The empennage had impact damage but no fire and was partially connected via control cables. Flight control continuity was established for elevator and rudder to the center section but not for ailerons or flaps due to impact damage.
Examination of both engines revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation before impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy determined the cause of death as severe blunt force trauma. Acute ethanol intoxication and poor decision making were noted as contributing factors. The manner of death was accident.
The pilot's FAA medical records indicated a history of alcohol dependence. He had received treatment and was reportedly sober since June 2010. Toxicological samples from the autopsy tested positive for ethanol: liver 340 mg/100g, vitreous fluid 252 mg/dL, consistent with a blood alcohol concentration of .252, exceeding the FAA limit of .040. A 1.75-liter bottle of Highland Mist whiskey was found in the wreckage. A friend confirmed the pilot drank that brand before remission.