Ohio MU-2 Accident Claims Four

A Mitsubishi MU-2 crashed on the afternoon of January 18 during approach to landing at Lorain County Regional airport in Elyria, Ohio, killing all four occupants aboard the turboprop twin. This is the first fatal MU-2 accident since the FAA issued new special FARs governing MU-2 pilot training (for more on this training, see page 30). Until the accident last month, there had been only one nonfatal mishap involving an MU-2 since the SFAR took effect two years ago. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were two miles visibility, mist, 500-foot overcast, temperature -1 deg C, dew point -3 deg C. The accident airplane was an MU-2B-60 registered to Mitts, of Gainesville, Fla., and it had departed Gainesville about 2.5 hours before the accident. At press time, the NTSB was investigating.