Mitsubishi MU-2B-25, Hillsboro, Ore., May 24, 2005–The NTSB found that the probable cause of the accident was the pilot’s failure to obtain minimum controllable airspeed during the takeoff climb, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control when the left engine suffered a partial loss of power. Factors were a fatigue failure in an oil tube, which resulted in the partial power loss to the left engine, the pilot’s failure to follow procedures/directives and his lack of recent experience and recurrent training in type.
The Max Aviation MU-2 crashed soon after takeoff from Portland-Hillsboro Airport. Conditions were VFR. The commercial pilot and three passengers were killed and the aircraft substantially damaged.
A witness saw the airplane land on Runway 30 and taxi to Hillsboro Aviation, where the engines were shut down. Later, the MU-2 made a tight turn between two rows of aircraft and taxied to Runway 30 without stopping and rolled onto the runway. After taking off, the aircraft pitched down slightly at about 1,000 feet and entered an apparently uncoordinated left turn. The witness said right rudder was applied, since the nose came back to the right, but the pitch attitude did not change. The wings then rolled left and the aircraft made two left-hand spins.
When investigators examined the engine, they found that the gearbox section of the left engine experienced a high-cycle fatigue failure of the high-speed pinion journal bearing oil supply tube and subsequent degradation of the bearings. The failure caused the partial power loss in the left engine.
After the accident, it was also discovered that the pilot, whose first name was Michael and whose Social Security Number ended in 0866, had his commercial certificate suspended for several regulation violations, then revoked. Several years later he reapplied for his flight certificates using the first name of Mychal and a Social Security Number ending in 0688. Under the name of Mychal he had had a gear-up landing in a different MU-2 in 1991.