No fatalities

1985-05-04: Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) (N8083J) — Private United States of America — Balmorhea, United States of America

Balmorhea, United States of AmericaLanding (descent or approach)

On May 4, 1985, a Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) (registration N8083J) operated by Private United States of America was involved in an aviation accident near Balmorhea, United States of America during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Occurrence #1: on ground/water collision with object; Phase of operation: landing - roll; Findings: 1. (f) object - building (nonresidential); 2. (c) ground loop/swerve - uncontrolled - pilot in command. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781218517Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft involved in illegal activity was intentionally landed in a pasture, collided with a concrete culvert, collapsed its landing gear, and was later dragged into a barn, tearing off its wings and damaging the structure.

Incident Overview

An aircraft engaged in illegal activity was intentionally landed in an open pasture. During the landing roll, the aircraft veered left and struck a concrete culvert measuring 30 inches in height. The impact caused the landing gear to collapse.

Post-Landing Events

After the landing gear collapsed, unknown personnel used a vehicle to drag the aircraft from the landing site to a nearby barn. While attempting to pull the aircraft into the barn, the wings were torn off and the barn sustained damage.

Official Findings

According to the official investigation, two occurrences were identified. The first occurrence was a ground/water collision with an object during the landing roll, attributed to an uncontrolled ground loop or swerve by the pilot in command. The second occurrence was a complete collapse of the landing gear, determined to be a total failure due to overload.

Damage Summary

The aircraft sustained structural damage including collapsed landing gear and severed wings. The barn, a nonresidential structure, was also damaged during the attempt to drag the aircraft inside.

Contributing Factors

The investigation cited the pilot's loss of directional control during landing and the subsequent overload on the landing gear as key elements of the event.

Probable cause

Occurrence #1: on ground/water collision with object; Phase of operation: landing - roll; Findings: 1. (f) object - building (nonresidential); 2. (c) ground loop/swerve - uncontrolled - pilot in command. Occurrence #2: complete gear collapsed; Phase of operation: landing - roll; Findings: 3. Landing gear - failure, total; 4. Landing gear - overload.