# Accident 20040311005139A: Mtsbsi MU2B40, Napa, CA, March 11, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 11, 2004, 20:30 local time
- Place: Napa, CA
- Airport: Napa County Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.1614° N, 122.2944° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.1614&lon=-122.2944&mi=10
- Aircraft: N966MA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N966MA-2014-11-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 (registry code 5780440, https://openairdocs.org/model/mitsubishi-mu-2b-40) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: AiResearch TPE331 series (registry code 01514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/airesearch-tpe331-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MTSBSI MU2B40
- Reported engine: GARRTT TPE331*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX04FA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04FA165) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040311005139A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON 03/11/04 AROUND 2030 LOCAL, DURING THE APPROACH PHASE, N966MA MAE A STEADY LEFT DESCENDING TURN AND IMPACTED THE WATER ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTH OF THE NAPA CO. AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, SUBMERGED IN THE WATER, AND WAS FOUND AND RETRIEVED ON 03/20/04. THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. INVESTIGATION OF THIS ACCIDENT IS ONGOING.                 (-23 AMENDMENT) INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SHUTDOWN AND THE LEFT PROP WAS FEATHERED PRIOR TO IMPACT. AS OF THIS DATE, THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE MANUFACTURERS PERFORMED A COMPREHENSIVE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND A TEARDOWN OF THE LEFT ENGINE BUT COULD NOT FIND A DEFINITE REASON FOR THE ENGINE FAILURE AND/OR SHUTDOWN. PILOT RECORDS INDICATED ADEQUATE PILOT TRAINING AND CURRENCY IN THE MU-2B-40 AIRCRAFT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX04FA165](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX04FA165), Mar 12, 2004: Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 (N966MA), Napa, CA, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane following a shutdown of the left engine during a night visual approach. A factor contributing to the accident was the dark night.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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