Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 N77DK

Summary

On 15 June 2004 at about 18:24 local time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 registered N77DK was involved in an accident near Waukegan, Illinois, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 June 2004 at 18:24

Classification

Accident

Location

Waukegan, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Waukegan Regional (UGN)

Coordinates

42.4222, -87.8678

Aircraft

Mitsubishi MU-2B-40

Registration

N77DK

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pontiac → Waukegan

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04LA155

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's misjudgment of the landing flare which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors were the subsequent overload and collapse of the nose landing gear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The aircraft was substantially damaged during a hard landing, which subsequently collapsed the nose landing gear and wrinkled the fuselage. The pilot stated that the approach was "fairly" stabilized, however, he noted he was late getting set-up for landing. He did not recall how many green landing gear extension lights he observed prior to landing. The pilot reported that when the main landing gear touched down on landing the nose of the aircraft "immediately dropped to the runway." He reported that the aircraft came to rest headed straight down the runway, approximately on the centerline. The post-accident examination determined that the nose landing gear was in a retracted position in the wheel well. The remaining sections of the nose landing gear doors were wedged behind the landing gear strut. The lower, outboard section of the fuselage was wrinkled from the nose landing gear to a point approximately even with the windshield. The aircraft manufacturer stated that the nose landing gear doors are mechanically actuated.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.