- Date
- October 16, 1985, 23:01 local (Oct 17, 1985, 04:01 UTC)
- Place
- El Paso, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N23CDMitsubishi MU-2B-2D
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851016052519A
- Case key
- 21874
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt canceled his IFR flt plan and attempted to fly VFR at a relatively low alt over mountainous terrain with low scattered clouds on a dark night. He reported a large lighted area as being downtown El Paso when in reality it was most likely coronado hills, a development on the west side of franklin mountain located aprx 4 miles north of the south end of the mountain. This was probably due to having just descended from IFR conditions into VFR conditions. His familiarity with the area, combined with his method of flt operation (as related by a professional aquaintance), probably gave a false sense of security and over confidence in his personal ability.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N23CD
- Reported as
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-2D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 142
- Airframe hours
- 4,616
- Engine
- Garrett TPE3311151A, 665 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Air Exchange Inc.
- Registered owner
- Aero Action Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 19, 1985 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- ABQ · Albuquerque, NM
- Destination
- ELP · El Paso, 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
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELP, 6 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.