# NTSB FTW90FA072: Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, N300CW, Putnam, TX, February 14, 1990

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: February 14, 1990, 07:53 local (13:53 UTC)
- Place: Putnam, TX
- Coordinates: 32.359661, -99.190917 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3597&lon=-99.1909&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 5 fatal
- Status: Completed, report September 5, 1991
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 23012
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW90FA072
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/23012/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW90FA072

## Probable cause

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN EXCESSIVE ACCUMMULATION OF STRUCTURAL ICING (ON THE AIRCRAFT'S WINGS, STABILIZERS, FUSELAGE, AND/OR ENGINE INLETS), AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED AND AIRCRAFT CONTROL.  FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE:  THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION DUE TO LACK OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION AT THE AUTOMATED FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (AFSS), HIS FAILURE TO OBTAIN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM OTHER WEATHER STATIONS (EITHER BEFORE TAKEOFF OR DURING THE FLIGHT), HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT, AND ICING CONDITIONS AT CRUISE ALTITUDE.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight encounter with weather, cruise - normal
  - weather evaluation - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - information insufficient, atc personnel(fss) (contributing factor)
  - in-flight briefing service - not used, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - icing conditions (contributing factor)
- Loss of control - in flight, cruise - normal
  - in-flight planning/decision - improper, pilot in command (cause)
  - lack of total experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - fuselage - ice (cause)
  - wing - ice (cause)
  - stabilizer - ice (cause)
  - descent - delayed
  - airspeed - inadequate, pilot in command (cause)
  - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled

## Analysis

BFR TKOF, SAN ANGELO AFSS BRIEFER TOLD THE PLT COMPUTERS WERE DWN IN SOUTH TX FOR 1.5 HRS & NO CURRENT WX INFO WAS AVBL.CURRENT WX INFO WAS AVBL AT NWS AT MIDLAND & FSS'S AT MIDLAND, MCALESTER & DE RIDDER, BUT THE PLT DIDN'T CALL THESE, NORDID THE BRIEFER ADZ HIM TO DO SO. PLT DIDN'T UPDATE WX IN FLT. ABT 38 MIN AFTER TKOF, IN AREA OF POTENTIAL ICING, ACFT SLOWED FM 270 TO 150 KTS GS IN 4 MIN, THEN SLOWED TO 100 KTS IN NEXT 12 SEC. ABT 33 SEC BFR RCHG 100 KTS, PLT RQD DSCNT FM 15,000' TO 13,000'. AT THAT TIME, TRUE GND TRACK WAS APRX 080 DEG WITH WND ALOFT ABT 213 DEG AT 43 KTS. BFR ATC COULDCLR DSCNT, ACFT DSCNDD TO 14,800, THEN RADAR CTC WAS LOST AFTER 1 RTRN AT 9700'. DSCNT RATE BTN LAST 2 ALTS: 12,750 FPM.NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION WAS FND. IMC EXISTED ABV 12,500'. FRZG LVL WAS FCST AT 10,000' TO 12,000'. ACFT WAS CERT FOR FLT IN KNOWN ICING CONDS, BUT STATUS OF ANTI-ICE/DE-ICE EQUIP WASN'T DTRMD DUE TO IMPACT/FIRE DMG. LOW LVLS OF ETHANOL WERE FND IN TOX SAMPLES FM ALL OCCUPANTS; HOWEVER, THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE TOX SAMPLES WERE UNRELIABLE.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N300CW](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N300CW-1991-03-28), registration cancelled 1991-03-28, S/N 795SA (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MITSUBISHI MU-2B-60
- Registry model: [Mitsubishi MU-2B-60](https://openairdocs.org/model/mitsubishi-mu-2b-60) (registry code 5780460) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 795
- Airframe hours: 2600
- Engines: GARRETT TPE-331 778 horsepower turbo prop
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Business, Part 91
- Registered owner: Williams Aviation Co.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, February 7, 1990, 10 hours before
- Departed: MDD, MIDLAND, TX
- Destination: DAL, DALLAS, TX
- Flight plan: IFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 51; commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 10,327 total, 35 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature: 39 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: ABI, 26 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19900214002199A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900214002199A), Feb 14, 1990: Mtsbsi MU2B60, Putnam, TX, Destroyed, 5 fatal. Lost control in icing conditions. Near vertical impact exploded and burned. Icing apparently worse than forcast.

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.

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