- Date
- June 24, 1992, 23:25 local (Jun 25, 1992, 05:25 UTC)
- Place
- Alamagordo, NM
- Injuries
- 6 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N108SCMitsubishi MU-2B-30
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920624031079A
- Case key
- 18153
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 failure of the pilot to exercise adequate VFR departure terrain avoidance procedures, and the failure of the controller to issue a safety alert to the pilot. Factors which contributed to the accident were: the pilot's lack of familiarity with the geographic area, the dark night, and the mountainous terrain.
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
The flt had departed the Alamagordo white sands regional arpt after a fuel stop. The pilot had earlier indicated to ATC that he was unfamiliar with the area. Prior to departure at 2321 the pilot was informed that departure radar was out of service. The flt departed with a VFR departure. At 2324 the pilot was advised that radar was back in service, and confirmed that the aircraft was climbing thru 5,300 ft. discussion ensued between the pilot and controller concerning terrain clearance. At 2324 the pilot indicated he was turning left due to not being sure if a hill was in his path. The airplane impacted a mountain at 6,100 ft MSL, 1,500 ft below the summit. The minimum vectoring altitude in the area was 11,000 ft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N108SC
- Reported as
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 545
- Airframe hours
- 4,251
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-1-151A, 705 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William G. Whitehead
- Registered owner
- William G. Whitehead
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 31, 1992 · 77 hours before
- Departed
- ALM
- Destination
- T27 · Burnet, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,072 total · 1,095 in this make and model · 9,036 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HMN, 7 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.