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| Date: | Tuesday 28 February 1989 |
| Time: | 12:03 LT |
| Type: |  Mitsubishi MU-2B-20 |
| Owner/operator: | Flight Int'l Of Floria, Inc. |
| Registration: | N701DM |
| MSN: | 149 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1970 |
| Engine model: | GARRETT TPE-331-1-151 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | offshore California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | CARLSBAD (KCRQ) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO PROVIDE AIRBORNE INTERCEPT TRAINING FOR THE U.S. NAVY. THE MISSION HAD JUST BEEN COMPLETED& THE ACCIDENT ACFT, FNT701, & ANOTHER ACFT, FNT492, WERE RETURNING HOME WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. RADAR DATA SHOWED FNT701 WAS AT 22,700 FT WHEN IT DESCENDED SLIGHTLY TO 22,500 FT. FNT701 REMAINED AT THIS ALT FOR APRX 2 MINS 37 SECS, THEN BEGAN A DESCENT WHICH RESULTED IN IMPACT WITH THE OCEAN. THIS FINAL DESCENT RATE INITIALLY WAS ABOUT 5,000 FPM & INCREASED TO 19,000 FPM. NO DISTRESS CALLS WERE MADE; HOWEVER, TWO TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECORDED WHICH TOTALED APRX 30 SECS. THERE WAS NO VOICE COMMUNICATION DURING THESE TRANSMISSIONS, ONLY AN OPEN MIKE & THE SOUND OF PROP(S). DURING THE 1ST TRANSMISSION, THE WORD 'OH' COULD BE HEARD. FNT492 OBSERVED FNT701 DESCEND BELOW THE CLOUDS & DID NOT DETECT ANY DISTRESS SIGNALS. LITTLE WRECKAGE WAS RECOVERED DURING SEARCH & RESCUE OPERATIONS.
Probable Cause: PILOT INCAPACITATION FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB BFO89LA023
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 19-Nov-2013 20:25 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, ] |
| 05-Mar-2016 01:34 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:20 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 04-Aug-2017 08:15 | TB | Updated [Location, Destination airport, Source, ] |
| 13-Apr-2025 18:11 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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