Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 N303CA
5 March 1992 · New Castle, Colorado, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 5 March 1992 at about 17:02 local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 registered N303CA, operated by Neece, S.r./Geesbreght, J.m., was involved in an accident near New Castle, Colorado, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:02
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- New Castle, Colorado, United States
- Nearest airport
- Garfield County Regional (RIL)
- Coordinates
- 39.5808, -107.5297
- Aircraft
- Mitsubishi MU-2B-60
- Registration
- N303CA
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Neece, S.r./Geesbreght, J.m.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Fort Worth → Rifle
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN92FA040
People
6 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
AN INADVERTENT STALL DURING AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH WITH THE AUTOPILOT ENGAGED. A FACTOR WAS: THE PILOT'S PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT FROM A PRESCRIPTION DRUG.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 10.5 DME FROM THE AIRPORT WHILE EXECUTING A LOC-DME INSTRUMENT APPROACH. THE AIRPLANE WAS CONFIGURED FOR LANDING. THE ELEVATOR TRIM JACKSCREW WAS APPROXIMATELY 18 DEGREES NOSE UP. THE ALTITUDE PRESELECT, COUPLED TO THE SPERRY AUTOPILOT SYSTEM, WAS SET AT 9,500 FEET. MINIMUM DESCENT ALTITUDE UNTIL REACHING THE FINAL APPROACH FIX IS 9,500 FEET. FINAL APPROACH FIX IS LOCATED AT 9.3 DME. TWENTY FOUR PRESCRIPTION AND NONPRESCRIPTION DRUGS WERE FOUND ABOARD THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT'S TOXICOLOGY REPORT DISCLOSED 0.206 (UG/ML, UG/G) CHLORPHENIRAMINE, AN ANTIHISTAMINE, IN HIS LIVER FLUID. ACCORDING TO AN FAA FLIGHT SURGEON, THIS WOULD EQUATE TO APPROXIMATELY .034 UG/ML IN BLOOD. THERAPEUTIC DOSAGE IS .01 TO .04 UG/ML. THE DRUG IS CONTRAINDICATED FOR FLYING DUE TO ITS CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING DROWSINESS. CHLORPHENIRAMINE IS AN INGREDIENT FOUND IN COMTREX, ONE OF THE DRUGS FOUND ABOARD THE AIRPLANE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Mitsubishi MU-2B accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jul 1992 | Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 | Concord, New Hampshire, United States | Richard R. Hough | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Nov 1992 | Mitsubishi MU-2B-25 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | Wayne C. Muhler | No injuries | - |
| 11 Sep 1992 | Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 | Greenwood, Indiana, United States | Solar Sources Inc. | Fatal | 6 |
| 25 Jun 1992 | Mitsubishi MU-2B-30 | Alamagordo, New Mexico, United States | William G. Whitehead | Fatal | 6 |
| 6 Jan 1993 | Mitsubishi MU-2B-35 | Nome, Alaska, United States | Bering Air, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 6 Apr 1993 | Mitsubishi MU-2B-35 | Casper, Wyoming, United States | Casper Air Service | Fatal | 4 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Apr 1992 | Cessna 310-L | Hugo, Colorado, United States | Bell, Anthony H. | No injuries | - |
| 4 May 1992 | Boeing 757-222 | Denver, Colorado, United States | United Airlines | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Jul 1992 | Piper PA-34-200T | Lamar, Colorado, United States | Lyddon Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 1992 | Embraer EMB-120 RT | Denver, Colorado, United States | Mesa Airlines, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jan 1992 | Cessna 152 | Falcon, Colorado, United States | Patrick Clayton | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jan 1992 | Cessna 172P | Englewood, Colorado, United States | P.c. Flyers, Inc. | No injuries | - |