- Date
- July 11, 1985, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Southbridge, MA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N727MAMitsubishi MU-2B-26
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850711030639A
- Case key
- 35571
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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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
During lndg the acft impacted hard and skidded down the rwy before it went off the left side of the rwy. The left main wheel separted and the nose gear collapsed. Both plts stated the lndg apch was normal until the acft was aprx 15 ftabove the rwy at which time the acft abruptly descended and impacted hard with the rwy. Prior to the impact, the acft was configured with 20 degs of flaps and lndg gear was down and locked. The airspeed was 105 KTS. Examination of the acft disclosed that the aft main gear doors were open and the nose down lock limit switch was defective. The switch is required to close the aft main gear door. The flight test by the mfg determined that opened aft main gear door has none to unnoticiable effect on stall speed. Acft speed at touchdown based on computations from prop slash marks was 86 KTS. The stall speed of acft at prevailing weight & flaps configuration is below this speed, the acft weight was aprx 9000 lbs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N727MA
- Reported as
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-26
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 342
- Airframe hours
- 26,958
- Engine
- Airesearch TPE-331-6-252, 715 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91 subpart F
- Registered owner
- Gentex Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 31, 1985 · 945 hours before
- Departed
- MHT · Manchester, NH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 3BO · Southbridge, runway 2, 3,500 × ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,615 total · 1,006 in this make and model · 6,503 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORH, 20 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.