Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, Englewood, Colo., Dec. 10, 2004–The Flight Line MU-2, operated as American Check 900 (ACT 900), lost control while maneuvering near Centennial Airport (APA), Englewood, and was destroyed when it crashed in night IMC. The ATP-rated pilot and commercial-rated passenger were killed.
After taking off from APA, when the airplane was approximately 500 feet agl, the local controller told the pilot to contact Denver Departure Control and the pilot acknowledged. At 900 feet agl, the pilot radioed, “We need to uh go around back in the pattern and come back in on uh either three five right or left please.” The controller asked if the crew needed any assistance. The pilot responded, “Negative for right now uh just need to get in as soon as possible.” When the controller asked the nature of the problem, the pilot reported, at 500 feet agl, “Declaring emergency we’ve got an air an engine [sic] that shut down uh please roll the equipment.” The controller cleared ACT 900 to land on Runway 35R and said that rescue/fire equipment was responding. He then said, “You can go to two eight if you can do it.” There was no response from ACT 900.
The controller-in-charge told the NTSB, “I saw ACT 900 turn base, overshoot final and finally turn north. The aircraft lights made an abrupt nose-down turn and the MU-2 was gone.” The local controller reported, “I cleared [pilot] to land on 35R. He overshot the base to final turn and went down east of the [runway].”
The NTSB noted that neither the pilot nor the passenger had attended the Mitsubishi/SimCom Pilot’s Review of Proficiency (Prop) seminars for pilots, owners and operators of MU-2s, designed to improve pilot awareness and decision-making skills, to meet other MU-2 operators and to learn more about how to operate an MU-2 safely and to better understand the various support programs available for the MU-2.