# NTSB DEN01FA113: Mitsubishi MU-2B-20, N187AF, Cerrillos, NM, June 10, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: June 10, 2001, 12:21 local (18:21 UTC) - Place: Cerrillos, NM - Coordinates: 35.459445, -106.100555 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4594&lon=-106.1006&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 2 fatal - Status: Completed, report July 25, 2002 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 52454 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN01FA113 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52454/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=52454 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN01FA113 ## Probable cause the pilot's loss of aircraft control inflight for reasons undetermined. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate transition/upgrade training and his total lack of experience in aircraft make/model. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, maneuvering - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - inadequate transition/upgrade training, pilot in command (contributing factor) - lack of total experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command (contributing factor) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - mountainous/hilly ## Analysis The pilot was maneuvering the airplane south of the airport preparing to make a VFR approach. Witnesses observed the airplane in a right spin. NTAP data showed the airplane to be well above stall speed before disappearing from radar. Examination of the radar data revealed that in 6 seconds, ground speed dropped 31 knots, from 200 knots to 169 knots, and altitude dropped 440 feet, from 11,760 feet to 11,320 feet (4,400 feet per minute). In the next 6 seconds, ground speed dropped another 31 knots, from 169 knots to 138 knots, and altitude dropped 1,020 feet, from 11,320 feet to 10,300 feet (10,200 feet per minute). According to the manufacturer, if the throttles were to be brought back into Beta (flat pitch) range, it is possible that one propeller could go into Beta an instant before the other propeller. If this were to happen, the airplane would instantly snap roll and enter a spiral. The pilot had received an estimated 4 hours of dual instruction in the airplane. ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 10, 2001, at 1221 mountain daylight time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-20, N187AF, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it impacted terrain in an uncontrolled descent near Cerrillos, New Mexico. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the personal flight being conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The flight originated in Peoria, Illinois, approximately 0945 central daylight time. North Point Aviation, Inc., records indicated that on the morning of the accident, the pilot used his personal key to unlock a fuel pump. The airplane was serviced to capacity with 190 gallons of Jet-A fuel. The pilot then telephoned the Kankakee, Illinois, Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS), obtained a standard weather briefing, and filed an IFR flight plan to Santa Fe. The airplane was seen to take off from the Mount Hawley Auxiliary Airport (3MY) between 0930 and 0945 central daylight time. According to a family member, the pilot and his wife were traveling to Santa Fe to celebrate their wedding anniversary. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), when the pilot arrived in the Santa Fe area, the Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) instructed him to enter a holding pattern due to conflicting traffic. He then cancelled his IFR flight plan and was told to contact the Santa Fe tower. An unofficial transcript of radio communications was prepared. Approximately 1218, the pilot contacted the control tower and reported he was 4 miles from the Santa Fe VORTAC. Shortly thereafter, he reported he was 2 miles from the VORTAC. At 1220, the pilot said he was "just going to do a three sixty out here south of the V-O-R and turn around and come back in." This was the last significant transmission from the pilot. There were several witnesses to the accident, and the following is based on written statements, interviews and telephone conversations. Witness #1 was driving a tractor in the village of Cerrillos. He looked up and saw an airplane, north of the village, "do a couple of motions," then it "headed nose down towards the ground." He said the wings appeared to be "rocking back and forth." Being a volunteer fireman, he responded to the accident site with the fire department after calling 9-1-1 and reporting the accident. Witness #2 was walking near his home when an airplane appeared about 40 to 50 degrees above the horizon. It made an "irregular" sound, "like he was going up and down," and the airplane came down steeply in a right (clockwise) spin. He said both engines were operating, and he attributed the irregular sound he heard "to the change of the sound while it was spinning." Witness #3 was driving north and was approximately 1/2-mile south of Cerrillos when he saw an airplane "going straight down and spinning in a clockwise motion." Three other witnesses were interviewed and their observations were similar. Witness #4, a Continental Airlines captain, was flying his personal airplane from Aztec, New Mexico, to Alpine, Wyoming. When he was 20 miles southeast of the Santa Fe VORTAC (Very high frequency Omnidirectional Radio range, TACtical air navigation), he noticed "a large black vertical plume of smoke." Albuquerque ARTCC requested that he proceed to the area. He circled the accident site and advised them of the burning wreckage. He said he did not hear any distress call. According to the New Mexico State Police, the first 9-1-1 call was received at 1223. The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at a GPS (Global Positioning System) location of 35 degrees, 27'33.6" north latitude, and 106 degrees, 06'28.5" west longitude. The accident site was 9.57 miles from the Santa Fe Airport on the 175 degree bearing. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 58, an orthodontist, held a private pilot certificate, dated June 20, 1999, with airplane single/multiengine land and instrument ratings. He also held a third class airman medical certificate, dated July 31, 2000, containing the restriction, "Must wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision," along with a waiver for amblyopia. The pilot's flight logbook was not located during the investigation and documentation of a biennial flight review was not found. However, the multiengine rating, the most recent activity recorded by FAA, was added to the pilot's certificate on June 20, 1999. The practical test was taken in a Beech 95A. According to his application for medical certification, the pilot estimated he had logged 800 total flight hours, of which 100 hours were accrued in the previous six months. According to N187AF's previous owner in Aiken, South Carolina, the pilot traded his Cessna 414 as a down payment on the MU-2B on April 27, 2001. He attended initial MU-2 training at Howell Enterprises in Smyrna, Tennessee, but was unable to complete the course when he could not obtain insurance on the airplane. Howell Enterprises referred him to a private MU-2 flight instructor in Dickson, Tennessee. The instructor flew with the pilot and family members from Peoria, Illinois, to Lake Placid, New York, and back. According to friends and business associates, the pilot was told not to make the accident trip on at least four different occasions during the week preceding the accident. The flight instructor also told the pilot twice not to go. Estimated dual instruction time that the pilot received in the airplane was 4 hours. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION N187AF (s/n 187), an MU-2B-20 (-20 denotes a short bodied airplane), also known as the MU-2F, was manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan in 1969. It was equipped with two Garrett (Honeywell) TPE-331-1-151A turboprop engines (s/n P92163C, left; P92164C, right), each rated at 705 eshp (equivalent shaft horsepower), and two Hartzell HC-B3TN-5E propellers (non-counter rotating) with T10178B-11R blades. Each propeller assembly consisted of three all-metal, hydraulically operated, constant speed blades, with full feathering and reversing (Beta) capabilities. The airplane maintenance records were not located during the investigation. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION The following METARs (Aviation Routine Weather Report) were recorded at Santa Fe Municipal Airport: 1153: Wind, 200 degrees at 8 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, clear; temperature, 29 degrees C. (84 degrees F.); dew point, -2 degrees C. (28 degrees F.); altimeter setting, 30.17 inches of mercury. 1253: Wind, 250 degrees at 10 knots, gusts to 17 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, clear; temperature, 31 degrees C. (88 degrees F.); dew point, -2 degrees C. (28 degrees F.); altimeter setting, 30.15 inches of mercury. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane impacted hilly terrain on a magnetic heading of 200 degrees at a GPS elevation of 6,146 feet msl (above mean sea level). The airplane wreckage was confined to a relatively small area, and was almost completely consumed by an intense ground fire. The left wing leading edge was crushed rearward to the rear spar. The left aileron trim actuator measured 3.5 inches. The upper surface of the right wing was melted between the fuselage and engine nacelle. The right aileron trim actuator measured 2.5 inches. The traveling nut on the attached right wing flap jackscrew and on the separated left wing flap jackscrew were both measured to be 1.5 inches from the aft bearing housing. According to the manufacturer, this equates to 20 degrees flaps down, or an approach/landing flap setting. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were aligned on a magnetic heading of 193 degrees and were on top of the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The left horizontal stabilizer and elevator had been consumed by fire. The elevator trim actuator was extended 1-7/8 inches, and ## Aircraft - Registration: [N187AF](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N187AF-2003-06-04), registration cancelled 2003-06-04, S/N 187, built 1970 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Mitsubishi MU-2B-20 - Registry model: [Mitsubishi MU-2B-20](https://openairdocs.org/model/mitsubishi-mu-2b-20) (registry code 5780407) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [AiResearch TPE331 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/airesearch-tpe331-series) (registry code 01514, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 187 - Airframe hours: 6500 - Engines: Garrett TPE331-1-151A 705 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: John M. White - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: 3MY, Peoria, IL - Destination: SAF, Santa Fe, NM - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: SAF, Santa Fe Municipal ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: fatal; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review June 20, 1999; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 800 total, 4 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 200° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 28 °F - Altimeter: 30.17 inHg - Observed at: SAF ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010610013649A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010610013649A), Jun 10, 2001: Mtsbsi MU2B20, Cerrillos, NM, Destroyed, 2 fatal. (.19)On June 10, 2001, approximately 1215 mountain daylight time, a mitsubishi MU-2B-20, N187AF, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it… ## Docket (25 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 3, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=52454. 8.5 MB in all. - Supplement S (item 1, .PDF, 28 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161670&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Supplement%20S-Master.PDF - Witness Statements (item 2, .PDF, 155 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40356918&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements-Redacted.PDF - Maps or Charts of Accident Area, Wreckage Diagrams (item 3, .PDF, 932 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161672&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maps%20or%20Charts%20of%20Accident%20Area,%20Wreckage%20Diagrams-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 4, .PDF, 7 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161673&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF - Transcript of Radio Communications (item 5, .PDF, 118 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161674&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Transcript%20of%20Radio%20Communications-Master.PDF - Excerpt from Engine Disassembly Reports (item 6, .PDF, 22 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161675&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpt%20from%20Engine%20Disassembly%20Reports-Master.PDF - Propeller Disassembly Report (item 7, .PDF, 40 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40356922&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Propeller%20Disassembly%20Report-Redacted.PDF - NTAP Data and Plot (item 8, .PDF, 2.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161677&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTAP%20Data%20and%20Plot-Master.PDF - Airplane Staff Speeds (item 9, .PDF, 58 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161678&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Airplane%20Staff%20Speeds-Master.PDF - Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation (item 10, .PDF, 41 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40356921&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20of%20Party%20Representatives%20to%20NTSB%20Investigation-Redacted.PDF - Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 (item 11, .PDF, 108 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40468528&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Release%20of%20Aircraft%20Wreckage,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.15-Master.PDF - Toxicological Report (item 12, .PDF, 47 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40356925&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicological%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Photo 1 - The accident site. (item 13, .PDF, 352 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161682&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20The%20accident%20site.-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - The left wing. (item 14, .PDF, 344 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161683&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20The%20left%20wing.-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - The right wing. (item 15, .PDF, 351 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161684&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20The%20right%20wing.-Master.PDF - Photo 4 - The empennage. (item 16, .PDF, 344 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161685&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20-%20The%20empennage.-Master.PDF - Photo 5 - The left tip tank and flap. (item 17, .PDF, 371 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161686&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%205%20-%20The%20left%20tip%20tank%20and%20flap.-Master.PDF - Photo 6 - Elevator, rudder, and aileron trim. (item 18, .PDF, 250 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161687&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%206%20-%20Elevator,%20rudder,%20and%20aileron%20trim.-Master.PDF - Photo 7 - Close-up view of the left tip tank. Note crush angle. (item 19, .PDF, 358 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161689&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%207%20-%20Close-up%20view%20of%20the%20left%20tip%20tank.%20%20Note%20crush%20angle.-Master.PDF - Photo 8 - The right tip tank. (item 20, .PDF, 315 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161690&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%208%20-%20The%20right%20tip%20tank.-Master.PDF - Photo 9 - Close-up view of the right tip tank. Note crush angle. (item 21, .PDF, 313 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161691&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%209%20-%20Close-up%20view%20of%20the%20right%20tip%20tank.%20%20Note%20crush%20angle.-Master.PDF - Photo 10 - The left engine. (item 22, .PDF, 327 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161692&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2010%20-%20The%20left%20engine.-Master.PDF - Photo 11 - The left proopeller assembly. (item 23, .PDF, 303 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161693&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2011%20-%20The%20left%20proopeller%20assembly.-Master.PDF - Photo 12 - The right propeller assembly. (item 24, .PDF, 336 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161695&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2012%20-%20The%20right%20propeller%20assembly.-Master.PDF - Photo 13 - Right flap jackscrew. (item 25, .PDF, 241 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40161697&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2013%20-%20Right%20flap%20jackscrew.-Master.PDF 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.