# NTSB NYC85FA163: Mitsubishi MU-2B-26, N727MA, Southbridge, MA, July 11, 1985

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: July 11, 1985, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place: Southbridge, MA
- Location: 42.0751° N, 72.0334° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Southbridge, MA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.0751&lon=-72.0334&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 35571
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC85FA163
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/35571/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC85FA163

## Sequence of events

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

- Loss of control - in flight, landing
  - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause)
  - proper descent rate - exceeded (cause)
- Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - level off - not possible, pilot in command (cause)
- Gear collapsed, landing - flare/touchdown
  - landing gear,main gear - overload
  - landing gear,nose gear - overload

## 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 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: MITSUBISHI MU-2B-26
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 342
- Airframe hours: 26958
- Engines: 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.

- Pilot; age 58; 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19850711030639A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850711030639A), Jul 11, 1985: Mtsbsi MU2B26, Southbridge, MA, Substantial damage. Loss of control followed by hard landing. Wing collapsed and gear folded. Fire in wing. Nose gear limit switch open

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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