Mitsubishi MU-2B-36A N2CJ

Summary

On 29 June 1991 at about 06:14 local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-36A registered N2CJ, operated by Dennis M Jones, was involved in an accident near Goleta, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 June 1991 at 06:14

Classification

Accident

Location

Goleta, California, United States

Nearest airport

Santa Barbara (SBA)

Coordinates

34.4999, -120.1193

Aircraft

Mitsubishi MU-2B-36A

Registration

N2CJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Dennis M Jones

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Monica → Santa Barbara

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX91FA280

4 people died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, LOW OVERCAST CLOUD CONDITION, THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE VFR FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), WHICH RESULTED IN A NEAR COLLISION WITH ANOTHER AIRCRAFT, HIS SELF INDUCED PRESSURE AND DIVERSION OF ATTENTION, WHILE COPING WITH THE SITUATION THAT HE HAD ENCOUNTERED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER DEPG SANTA MONICA AT NGT, MITSUBISHI MU-2 PLT CTCD TRACON FOR CLNC THRU TCA AT 6500'. TRACON TRIED TO GET AUTOMATED VFR HANDOFF TO ARTCC, BUT WAS UNABLE. RADAR SVC WAS TRMTD & PLT CTCD (NON-RADAR EQUIPPED) SANTA BARBARA FSS (HOME ARPT). HE WAS ADZ WX WAS 500' SCT, 2700' BKN, 4000' OVC, VIS 6 MI WITH FOG. PLT HAD NOT FILED FLT PLAN & BGN A VOR RWY 25 APCH WO OBTAINING CLNC. AS HE CONTD IBND, MU-2 DSCNDD THRU CLDS & CONVERGED WITH FAIRCHILD SA227 THAT WAS ON IFR APCH TO ARPT. ARTCC CTLR, WHO HAD BEEN CTLG SA227, ADZD FSS SPECIALIST OF SITUATION. PLTS OF BOTH ACFT WERE ADZD OF OTR ACFT'S PSN. MU-2 PLT DID NOT RESPOND WHEN ASKED IF HE WAS IN IMC. MU-2 PLT RPRTD 7 OR 8 MI OUT ON VOR APCH. HE WAS TOLD AGAIN OF SA227 ON FINAL APCH & TO PHONE ARTCC AFTER LNDG. NO FURTHER RDO CALLS WERE RCVD FM MU-2 PLT. RADAR DATA SHOWED MU-2 CONVERGED WI 400' OF SA227. PLT BGN LEFT TURN OVR SHORELINE AS IF TO CIRCLE FOR SPACING, BUT MU-2 ENTERED DSCNT & CRASHED IN OCEAN. EXAM OF LGT BULBS INDCD MASTER CAUTION & BATTERY OVR TEMP LGTS WERE ILLUMINATED DRG IMPACT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.