On October 23, 1980, a Piper PA-61 Aerostar (Ted Smith 601) (registration N8250J) operated by West Coast Insulation Company was involved in an aviation accident near Wilma, United States of America in flight. 2 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Uncontrolled descent and subsequent crash for undetermined reasons. The following findings were reported: - Overload failure, - Separation in flight, - Left wing and tail section separated, - Left engine not recovered. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A twin-engine aircraft on a flight from Panama City to Fort Myers experienced an uncontrolled descent, overload failure, and partial disintegration, losing its left wing and tail section before crashing near Wilma. Both occupants were killed.
Incident Overview
A twin-engine aircraft operating a flight from Panama City, Florida, to Fort Myers, Florida, entered an uncontrolled descent while in normal cruise. The aircraft subsequently experienced an overload failure, leading to a partial in-flight disintegration. The left wing and tail section separated from the airframe before the aircraft crashed in an uninhabited area near Wilma. Both occupants of the aircraft were killed.
Findings
Investigators determined that the aircraft's left engine was not recovered. The probable cause of the accident was listed as an uncontrolled descent and subsequent crash for undetermined reasons. Specific findings reported by investigators include: