Story ID: 433MU-2update
Mitsubishi Embraces Updated Training Rule
By: Amy Laboda
Caption: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries gets new U.S. general manager, MU-2 SFAR now 14 CFR Part 91, subpart N.
Word Count: 766
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Aircraft Product Support Division (MHIA APD, Booth # C10621) arrived at NBAA BACE 2017 excited about changes in its U.S. management team and the high marks it received in the 2017 AIN Product Support Survey. The company is also focusing on educating conference attendees about updated training regulations for its MU-2B twin turboprops.

“We are excited to see our MU-2B turboprop win AIN’s Product Support Survey for the 14th time in 15 years,” said new MHI APD general manger Kenji Matsui. Matsui is a former manager for the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries overseas supply chain management section and has worked for MHI for more than 22 years in both Japan and the United States. He was previously the product support manager at MHIA APD in the U.S. for four years.

As of April 2017, MHIA APD took responsibility for all operations of the MU-2B product support and began developing a new MU-2B website, preparing for the upcoming Pilot’s Review of Proficiency (PROP) safety seminar, as well as renewing the MU-2B Magazine.

The MU-2B is unusual among light turboprops because of its high cruise speed and slow landing speed. The airplane has full-span, double-slotted flaps on the trailing edge of the wing that give it a wing area comparable to that of a Beechcraft King Air in landing configuration, yet, when retracted, reduces the wing area to that of a light jet for cruise mode.

In 2008 the FAA addressed the MU-2's high accident rate by publishing SFAR 108 mandating flight training and experience requirements for MU–2B pilots. In the 20 years leading up to SFAR 108, the MU–2B series experienced 80 accidents with 40 fatalities. Since the effective date of SFAR 108, there have been four fatal accidents (one was an MU-2 that disappeared in the Bahamas, for which a cause has not been determined).

“It became evident shortly after the SFAR was written that there were mistakes,” explained Pat Cannon, operations consultant contracted to MHIA APD. “And beyond fixing simple mistakes, there were other problems with the SFAR. Almost six years ago we asked the FAA to remove the training profiles and curricula from the SFAR and put them into a document that was easier to change, because the reality is that it takes three to five years to change a rule in government."

What kinds of changes were needed to keep the MU-2B training program current? For example, in 2012 the FAA revised its stall recognition and recovery procedures for all aircraft and all training programs emphasizing a positive reduction in angle-of-attack as the proper stall recovery method. The FAA also introduced “startle factor” training through the use of the autopilot during stall recognition and recovery practice in all aircraft training programs. The FAA, however, had not included the “startle factor” training requirements in MU-2B training programs.

In September 2016 the FAA amended its regulations to relocate and update the content of SFAR 108 to the newly created subpart N of Part 91 to improve the safety of operating the Mitsubishi MU-2B series. The move was the most logical way for the FAA to address numerous updates and improvements that MHIA APD and its owners had been demanding to be made to the MU-2B training curriculum. Now that the mandated training is in Part 91, with all of the profiles in Advisory Curricular 91-89 it is much easier to institute training updates in a timely manner. Additionally the FAA chose to further regulate who can train MU-2 pilots. All flight instructors wishing to offer training in the MU-2 series now must submit their training programs for review with their local FSDO and obtain a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to teach in the MU-2B. The LOA is valid for 24 calendar months and predicated on the instructor maintaining the required currency in the aircraft as per regulation.

“With the updated rule in subpart N of Part 91, plus having AC 91-89 hold all the specific training profiles, we are in good shape. If things change that advisory circular is easily amended in the future,” Cannon told AIN.

Nearly 300 MU-2B or derivative airplanes are operating today under Parts 91 and 135, mostly in North America. Next year the annual MHIA APD PROP education seminar is scheduled for Destin, Florida on April 19 and 20.

Correction: This article has been updated to note that in the case of the MU-2 that disappeared in the Bahamas, it has not been determined that this accident involved an in-flight breakup.