Mitsubishi MU-2B-2D N23CD

Summary

On 17 October 1985 at about 04:01 local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-2D registered N23CD, operated by Air Exchange Inc., was involved in an accident near El Paso, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

17 October 1985 at 04:01

Classification

Accident

Location

El Paso, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.7990, -106.3600

Aircraft

Mitsubishi MU-2B-2D

Registration

N23CD

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Air Exchange Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → El Paso

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW86FA015

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.