Story ID: 
Fewer MU-2 Accidents Since Special Training Required
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: Improved training seems to have resulted in an improved accident rate for the MU-2.
Word Count: 183
In the approximately eight years since special training requirements went into effect for pilots of U.S.-registered Mitsubishi MU-2s there have been significantly fewer accidents and fatalities involving the turboprop twin than in the eight years preceding the requirements. 

According to data researched by AIN, since April 2008 there have been five nonfatal mishaps and three fatal accidents killing 12 people. During the eight years preceding SFAR 108, there were four nonfatal mishaps and 16 fatal crashes killing 35 people (one of them on the ground). The most recent accident occurred on March 29: the five passengers and two pilots perished when their N-registered MU-2 crashed while on approach in freezing rain and fog.		A Transportation Safety Board of Canada preliminary report says the aircraft was near wings level in a slight nose-high attitude when it struck terrain 1.2 miles southwest of Îles-de-la-Madeleine Airport in Quebec at 12:30 a.m. local time. Initial assessments indicate the engines were operating at the time of impact. The aircraft was not equipped with, nor was it required to carry, a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder.