- Date
- April 18, 2003, 03:25 local (09:25 UTC)
- Place
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N157CAMitsubishi MU-2B-60
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20030418004589A
- Case key
- 56896
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the pilot improperly aligning the airplane on the runway for takeoff. Contributing factors were the reduced visibility due to rain, and the dark night.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Visibility was greater than 6 miles, but was restricted due to moderate to heavy rain as the pilot started his takeoff roll on runway 35. Near rotation speed, he felt a tire blow out followed by some hydroplaning. He aborted the takeoff and taxied back to the ramp. Airplane inspection revealed substantial damage to the left engine and cowling, propeller, and landing gear. In addition, the pressure vessel was breached. The pilot surmised that he had aligned the airplane with the left side runway edge lights instead of the centerline lights. He attributed this to his "vision being partially obstructed by moderate rain." Postaccident examination revealed 15 to 20 runway lights were either damaged or destroyed.
Factual narrative
On April 18, 2003, at 0325 mountain daylight time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, N157CA, operated by American Check Transport, d/b/a Flight Line, Inc., of Denver, Colorado, was substantially damaged when it collided with runway edge lights during takeoff at Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed for the nonscheduled domestic cargo flight operating as ACT flight 900 under Title 14 CFR Part 135. The flight was originating at the time of the accident, and its destination was Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado.
The following is based on the accident report submitted by the pilot-in-command. "The visibility was greater than 6 miles, but was restricted due to moderate to heavy rain," he wrote. He was cleared for takeoff on runway 35 and he "lined up on centerline for a northbound departure." At near rotation speed (95 knots), he felt a tire blow out. There was some hydroplaning, so he aborted the takeoff and taxied back to the ramp. Airplane inspection revealed substantial damage to the left engine and cowling, propeller, and landing gear. In addition, the pressure vessel was breached.
The pilot surmised that he had aligned the airplane with the left side runway edge lights instead of the centerline lights. He attributed this to his "vision being partially obstructed by moderate rain." Postaccident examination revealed 15 to 20 runway lights were either damaged or destroyed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N157CA
- Reported as
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-60
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1558S.A
- Engine
- Garrett TPE 331-10, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- American Check Transport, doing business as Flight Line, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Flight Line, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SLC · Salt Lake City, UT
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SLC · Salt Lake City International, runway 35, 9,596 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 21, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,485 total · 103 in this make and model · 3,402 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- SLC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.