Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, Englewood, Colo., Dec. 10, 2004–According to the NTSB, the MU-2 crashed because of the pilot’s failure to maintain minimum controllable airspeed during the night visual approach. A contributing factor was the precautionary shutdown of the left engine for undetermined reasons.
Soon after takeoff from Centennial Airport at 7:40 p.m., the Flight Line MU-2 pilot requested a return to the airport. Then on downwind for Runway 35R, he declared an emergency and said, “We’ve got an air an engine ta [sic] shut down uh please roll the equipment.” The airplane overshot final and the controller cleared N538EA to Runway 28. There was no response. The controller saw the airplane’s landing lights turn down
toward the ground, and “the MU-2 was gone.” Flaps were extended 20 degrees, the landing gear was retracted and the left propeller was feathered. The ATP-rated pilot and passenger were killed.