What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 23, 2017, approximately 1830 central daylight time, a Mitsubishi mu 2B-40 was found substantially damaged after colliding with terrain approximately 4 miles northeast of Ainsworth Regional Airport, fatally injuring the pilot. The private pilot departed from Ainsworth, Nebraska (anw) airport with a destination of bottineau, north dakota (D09). The pilot was the sole occupant of the aircraft. The accident was not locally witnessed due to the rural location.
The missing aircraft was initially reported by an individual waiting to meet the pilot at the destination airport. The Ainsworth airport manager alerted proper authorities, when made aware of the pilot not making it to the destination. The airport manager stated that the aircraft was fueled prior to take-off.
The instrument rated pilot departed VFR utilizing runway 35. An eyewitness at the Ainsworth airport, stated the aircraft departed the airport at approximately 1025 central daylight time, and entered the clouds with the landing gear in the down position. The Ainsworth airport METAR reported weather at 1013 central daylight time: winds 350 degrees at 9 knots, visibility of 1 ¾ mist, 500 overcast, temperature of 9 degrees celsius, dew point of 9 degrees celsius, and an altimeter of 30.01 inches of mercury. The weather reported at 1025 central daylight time: winds 360 degrees at 9 knots, visibility of 2 1/2 mist, 500 overcast, temperature of 9 degrees celsius, dew point of 9 degrees celsius, and an altimeter of 30.01 inches of mercury. The pilot filed an instrument flight plan with flight service but never opened the flight plan and did not receive an instrument clearance, prior to departure.
The aircraft hit the ground at approximately 270 degrees. The aircraft was at a nose-low, steep angle of attack, and high energy state. The left wingtip appeared to hit first, followed by the left engine and fuselage. Along the path from initial impact, the aircraft broke apart with debris scattering across the area. Some of the debris found indicated that a post-impact fire of the left engine and aircraft battery.
The left engine, right engine, left prop, and right prop were mostly buried in the ground. The remainder of the aircraft was separated in small pieces scattered. There were four holes in the ground from impact of the aircraft. The soil was contaminated with strong odor of jet-fuel. No other property damage was noted and no persons were harmed on the ground.
The aircraft was removed from the accident scene and relocated to greely, Colorado for a tear-down inspection. The inspection revealed that both engines were developing full power prior to impact.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2017, APPROXIMATELY 1830 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A MITSUBISHI MU 2B-40 WAS FOUND SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER COLLIDING WITH TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF AINSWORTH REGIONAL AIRPORT, FATALLY INJURING THE PILOT. THE PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED FROM AINSWORTH, NEBRASKA (ANW) AIRPORT WITH A DESTINATION OF BOTTINEAU, NORTH DAKOTA (D09). THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE ACCIDENT WAS NOT LOCALLY WITNESSED DUE TO THE RURAL LOCATION.
THE MISSING AIRCRAFT WAS INITIALLY REPORTED BY AN INDIVIDUAL WAITING TO MEET THE PILOT AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT. THE AINSWORTH AIRPORT MANAGER ALERTED PROPER AUTHORITIES, WHEN MADE AWARE OF THE PILOT NOT MAKING IT TO THE DESTINATION. THE AIRPORT MANAGER STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF.
THE INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT DEPARTED VFR UTILIZING RUNWAY 35. AN EYEWITNESS AT THE AINSWORTH AIRPORT, STATED THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 1025 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, AND ENTERED THE CLOUDS WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE AINSWORTH AIRPORT METAR REPORTED WEATHER AT 1013 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME: WINDS 350 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS, VISIBILITY OF 1 ¾ MIST, 500 OVERCAST, TEMPERATURE OF 9 DEGREES CELSIUS, DEW POINT OF 9 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND AN ALTIMETER OF 30.01 INCHES OF MERCURY. THE WEATHER REPORTED AT 1025 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME: WINDS 360 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS, VISIBILITY OF 2 1/2 MIST, 500 OVERCAST, TEMPERATURE OF 9 DEGREES CELSIUS, DEW POINT OF 9 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND AN ALTIMETER OF 30.01 INCHES OF MERCURY. THE PILOT FILED AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN WITH FLIGHT SERVICE BUT NEVER OPENED THE FLIGHT PLAN AND DID NOT RECEIVE AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE, PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.
THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND AT APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT A NOSE-LOW, STEEP ANGLE OF ATTACK, AND HIGH ENERGY STATE. THE LEFT WINGTIP APPEARED TO HIT FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT ENGINE AND FUSELAGE. ALONG THE PATH FROM INITIAL IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT BROKE APART WITH DEBRIS SCATTERING ACROSS THE AREA. SOME OF THE DEBRIS FOUND INDICATED THAT A POST-IMPACT FIRE OF THE LEFT ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT BATTERY.
THE LEFT ENGINE, RIGHT ENGINE, LEFT PROP, AND RIGHT PROP WERE MOSTLY BURIED IN THE GROUND. THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEPARATED IN SMALL PIECES SCATTERED. THERE WERE FOUR HOLES IN THE GROUND FROM IMPACT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE SOIL WAS CONTAMINATED WITH STRONG ODOR OF JET-FUEL. NO OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS NOTED AND NO PERSONS WERE HARMED ON THE GROUND.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND RELOCATED TO GREELY, COLORADO FOR A TEAR-DOWN INSPECTION. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT BOTH ENGINES WERE DEVELOPING FULL POWER PRIOR TO IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.