CEN20LA125

Factual narrative

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 29, 2020, about 0900 central standard time, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 airplane, N425GZ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Flying Feathers Airport (11Y), Chilton, Wisconsin. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was informed of the accident on March 12, 2020, by the airframe manufacturer; it was not reported to the NTSB by the pilot. The pilot stated that while landing at his private turf airstrip, the airplane yawed left and the right wing was substantially damaged when it contacted the ground. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONOn December 14, 2019, the pilot completed an initial MU-2 training course, which included 14.9 flight hours and 20 hours of ground training as required 14 CFR Part 91 Subpart N. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONAn examination of the airplane, which included engine rigging, propellers, and flight control continuity, did not reveal an anomaly that would have resulted in a directional control issue. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONThe flight manual contained landing distance information for a dry, hard surface runway. Landing distance information for a turf runway was not available to the pilot. Investigators calculated airplane landing performance based on ambient temperature, calm wind, zero runway slope, an airplane weight of 500 lbs above empty weight, flaps at 20°, and no use of reverse thrust. Estimated landing distance over a 50 ft obstacle and ground roll were 2,500 and 1,500 ft, respectively. The airplane manufacturer estimated the landing distance over a 50 ft obstacle and ground roll for a turf (or wet) runway to be about 4,250 and 3,250 ft, respectively. The pilot did not respond to requests for additional information, such as expected landing distance, runway braking condition, touchdown location, actions taken after touchdown, and where the airplane departed the runway surface. The pilot was landing the turbine-powered airplane on a 2,500-ft-long frozen, turf runway. The pilot reported to the manufacturer that, during the landing roll, the airplane yawed left and the right wing contacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that would have resulted in a directional control issue. According to the pilot operating handbook, the airplane’s landing distance over a 50-ft for a dry, hard surface runway was about 2,500 ft. The manufacturer estimated that this distance for a wet or turf runway were about 4,250 ft. The pilot did not respond to requests for information regarding his flight planning or estimated landing distance. The pilot's decision to land on a runway that provided an inadequate distance likely resulted in an inability to maintain control of the airplane during the landing roll. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
• C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-(general)-Decision related to condition - C
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Landing distance-Capability exceeded
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained