Smith AEROSTAR 601P — registry & accident history
Compiled from FAA & NTSB records · as of Jul 29, 2026
There are 200 Smith AEROSTAR 601P airframes on record (built 1974–1978), 92 currently registered. 12 have one or more NTSB accident records (12 records total, 5 with a fatal highest-injury classification). Data as of Jul 29, 2026.
Recent Smith AEROSTAR 601P accidents
A recent hard landing resulted in a fracture of a joint from a cylinder to a main landing gear.
The pilot's failure to verify the usable fuel in the fuel tanks, which resulted in an inaccurate fuel totalizer setting during preflight, fuel exhaustion, and a total loss of engine power.
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient clearance from trees during the single-engine landing approach. Contributing to the accident was the loss of power in the left engine due to an improperly installed rubber boot that became dislodged and was then partially sucked into the fuel injector servo, which caused an excessively rich fuel-air mixture that would not support combustion.
The pilot's operation of the airplane while intoxicated, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.
The pilot did not maintain control of the airplane while circling to land.
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during takeoff following loss of power to the left engine due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the loss of control was the pilot’s failure to feather the left propeller following the loss of left engine power.
Inadequate planning and control instructions issued to the pilots involved by the trainee controller operating the local control position and inadequate supervision by the instructor responsible for the position.