- Date
- January 27, 1983, 18:59 local (Jan 28, 1983, 01:59 UTC)
- Place
- Scottsdale, AZ
- Injuries
- 6 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N440MAMitsubishi MU-2B-60
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830127059269A
- Case key
- 23418
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 acft diverted from Scottsdale AZ to a flt course to sedona because of thunderstorms & high winds at Scottsdale, but after a radio conversation with Scottsdale twr, the plt decided to reroute to land at Scottsdale. The plt did not read back the weather correctly to Scottsdale twr. After descending in rain and turbulence, the plt reported to Scottsdale AT1857 that 'we think we have the arpt at nine o'clock.' The plt was cleared to make a visual approach to rwy 21. The twr never established visual contact with the acft & was unable to make further radio contact the last recorded radar contact showed the acft at 2200 ft descending, 2 miles from Scottsdale on a bearing of 075 degrees. The acft contacted the ground left wing & nose low in a landing configuration on a heading of about 300 degrees. The acft slid about 770 ft, losing the engines, wings & landing gear before stopping. A post accident examination of the wreckage showed no signs of pre-impact conditions that would have affected normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N440MA
- Reported as
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-60
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1524 SA
- Airframe hours
- 993
- Engine
- Garrett TPE33110501M, 940 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mitsumarq Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 1, 1982 · 83 hours before
- Departed
- GXY · Greeley, CO
- Destination
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- runway 21, 4,800 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,945 total · 957 in this make and model · 9,700 as pilot in command · 81 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 280° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SDL, 2 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.